August 5, 1880. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
127 
possible to clean any land during the whole year. If the lea 
grounds are intended for Wheat the same season it is especially 
desirable not to move the land deeply, because it would be too 
light, therefore in disposing of the couch before ploughing the 
surface of the soil only should be moved by the strongest scarifier. 
There should be some difference in the treatment of a Saintfoin 
lea compared with a Clover lea, for there is probably no better 
or cheaper way of preparing the Saintfoin lea for the next crop 
than by paring and burning. If Clover lea was burnt the value 
of the Clover roots would be lost, therefore the less labour that is 
bestowed on removing the couch before laying out the dung the 
better. 
In reference to the comparative advantages of autumn cultiva¬ 
tion in contrast with spring tillage there is first of all a much 
greater certainty of a given number of days being secured for 
tillage in the autumn than in the spring, because as soon as open 
weather commences the seed time has arrived. To this point we 
call the attention of the home farmer particularly, as it is impos¬ 
sible to do in the spring that which can be easily done in the 
autumn, although there are some days in the most favourable 
autumns on which the land can be cleaned, yet the employment 
of steam power renders it possible to perform much work which 
cannot be accomplished by animals, in consequence of the limited 
time at our command. We shall not therefore attempt any com¬ 
parison between the cost of steam power and that of horses, be¬ 
cause the former is quite possible in ordinary seasons, whereas the 
latter is impossible without disturbing the whole work of Wheat 
sowing, green-crop seeding, &c. We here repeat our firm convic¬ 
tion that after autumn cultivation has been efEected, or in fact 
under any circumstances, nothing proves so injurious to the root 
crops as various ploughings in the spring, the land not only losing 
moisture but firmness also, both of which are necessary to success¬ 
ful root culture. 
WORK ON THE HOME EARM. 
Horse Labour .—In some instances the sowing of Turnips will still 
be unfinished, but the sooner it is done now the better. Ploughing 
the land and planting Thousand-headed Kale or dwarf Savoy Cabbages 
will be advancing according to the requirements of the stock on the 
farm, as well as the production of vegetables to be sold as the food of 
the people. The dwarf Savoy Cabbages may be made a profitable 
crop upon farms near a town for sale in the early spring should it not 
be required as food for the stock on the farm. It will always be 
desirable in the future to grow such root and vegetable produce 
as may be consumed upon the farm or sold as food, a system 
upon which we acted on our farm thirty years ago, and can there¬ 
fore recommend it with confidence to the home farmer. The value 
of vegetables, too, is much greater now than it was at the period 
named, for strictly speaking the supply of vegetables, fruit, <fcc., 
is not at all adequate to the requirements of the inhabitants in 
towns. In some districts the hay clearing in the low-lying or water 
meadows has not been finished, for considerable hindrance to the 
making, carting, and stacking has been experienced in most of the 
late districts up to the time we are writing, and it is to be feared that 
it may interfere with the harvesting of early crops, such as winter 
Oats, early white Oats, Rye, Peas, &c. In the early districts of the 
south and eastern counties of England the above-named crops will be 
cut, thus employing some of the horses with the reaping machines ; 
and generally speaking it is severe work for the animals, especially 
as it is desirable to make long days. It is necessary to work the 
horses in relays, by working each pair not more than four or five 
hours in succession. The reaping and tying harvesters have now 
been greatly improved, and the result of the trials and contests under 
the auspices of the Royal Agricultural Society of England at Carlisle 
has established the practice of tying the sheaves with string or yarn 
instead of wire, which was previously considered necessary in binding 
and reaping machines. 
Hand Labour .—When the weather is favourable not only the work 
connected with the cutting of the crops, such as Peas, second crops of 
Clover, &c., will be pressing, but the growth of all late-sown Turnips 
has been so very quick and luxuriant that the hoeing by hand or 
singling must be dene, or the ultimate crop will be seriously injured. 
We recommend the plan which we have frequently adopted under 
similar circumstances—that is, by working the horse hoe across the 
lines with the shares placed for leaving the plants in bunches, which 
prevents the plants becoming stunted ; singling may proceed by hand 
labour only by women if men are not available through the urgency 
of other work. Our adjustment of the shares or knives of the horse 
hoe is to retain the foremost or centre share in its usual position, and 
reverse the two side knives by turning them outwards with a space 
between them sufficient to leave the roots in bunches of the right 
dimensions. This is easily done in a season like the present, when 
the plants are thick in the rows. If it is intended to grow stubble 
Turnips arrangements must be made both for the manure to be 
drilled and the women appointed to remove the sheaves or pooks of 
corn or pulse, so that the ploughing and sowing daily between them 
may be done, and thus two-thirds of the land may be seeded before 
the corn is carried. The result of this plan we have proved for many 
years is a double weight of roots as compared with any portion left 
unsown until after the crop is removed. 
The home farmer, where he has the care of a breeding flock, must 
now turn his attention to the securing of rams of good quality, and 
in accordance with the flock under his management. Whether the 
stock are Hampshire or West County Downs, or Cotswolds, Leicesters, 
or any other breed, it is essential to take the first opportunity and 
thereby secure the best animals which are necessary for propagating 
the breed he has in charge. If the stock required upon a home farm 
is for grazing or winter feeding for mutton, this is a good time for 
selecting animals best adapted for the purpose. The lambs may now 
be shorn and made out as fat tegs. The breeding ewes for making 
early lambs should be dipped, for in the enclosed districts they 
will be quickly struck by the fly, producing loss of wool. By this 
time also the rams will be running with the ewes, and care 
should be taken to have the rams ochred so that each ewe as served 
should be marked, and if necessary may be removed for inferior 
feeding if high feeding has been adopted for the purpose of early 
breeding. All the yearling off heifers in the pastures should run 
together, and have a well-bred young bull of the same age and of the 
required breed turned in with them, 30 that the calves may be ex¬ 
pected to fall just when the earliest grass is at the best—during the 
early part of the month of May. We find the price of sheep is rather 
higher than last year at this time, and the sale for store cattle very 
dull, particularly for the general run of the Irish imported stock 
whether of steers or heifers. Dairy cows and early calving cattle are 
selling well, and are likely to pay well this year in the hands of home 
farmers who are competent managers of a herd of dairy cows. 
BATH AND WEST OF ENGLAND SOCIETY AND 
SOUTHERN COUNTIES ASSOCIATION. 
At the Council meeting of the Society held at the Grand Hotel, 
Bristol, on Tuesday last, the chair was taken, in the unavoidable 
absence of the President, by H. G. Moysey, Esq. There were also 
present Messrs. Jonathan Gray and J. C. Moore-Stevens (Vice- 
Presidents), C. T. D. Acland, J. D. Allen, E. Archer (Colonel), H. J. 
Badcock (Treasurer), J. C. Best (R. N.), C. Bush, R. H. Bush, V. P. 
Calmady, E. E. Drewe (Colonel), T. Dyke, Charles Edwards, Walter 
Farthing, A. Gibbs, E. Gill, J. E. Knollys, R. Lang, R. Marker, R. 
Neville, E. J. Sanders, Sir John Shelley, Bart., A. Stanford, and 
J. Goodwin (Secretary and Editor). 
A letter was read from the Most Noble the Marquis of Aber¬ 
gavenny, thanking the Society for his election as President for the 
ensuing year, and expressing a hope that his year of office would be 
one of prosperity and success. 
Mr. Charles Edwards, as Chairman of the Finance Committee, 
brought up the quarterly statement of accounts ; and the cheques which 
had been drawn for the payment of prizes and other disbursements 
in connection with the recent meeting, were sanctioned by the Council. 
It was also reported that so far as it was at present possible to make 
an approximate estimate, the probable loss on the year’s proceedings 
would amount to £1000. 
Mr. Charles Edwards, in the absence of the Chairman of the Stock 
Prize Sheet Committee, asked for the amount of £2070 for stock prizes 
at the Tunbridge Wells meeting, which was granted by the Council. 
The sum of £200 was granted for poultry prizes at Tunbridge Wells, 
Mr. G. Herbert Morrell repeating his offer of £G 6s. for prizes for 
Langshans. 
The amounts voted for the several departments of art, music, and 
horticulture at Tunbridge Wells were the same as at the last meeting 
of the Society. 
The Stewards and Officers for the Tunbridge Wells meeting were 
appointed, subject to their written consent to act. 
Mr. Knollys reported that he in company with Mr. Jonathan Grey 
had inspected the ground offered by the Local Committee at Tun¬ 
bridge Wells for the trials of implements. The Committee had 
afforded every facility, and had been most willing to comply with the 
requirements of the Society ; and, subject to certain arrangements 
which had been easily made, the Stewards had no hesitation in 
approving the ground offered as admirably suited for its purpose. 
The Secretary also announced the payment by the Local Committee 
of the £800 due from them in accordance with the regulations ; and 
the Council resolved that a special letter of thanks be written to the 
Local Committee for their promptitude and courtesy in carrying out 
the suggestions and requirements of the Society. 
A communication from Mr. W. Stanford of Steyning, suggesting 
that a class for yearling agricultural colts should be added to the 
stock prize list, similar to that for yearling fillies, was referred to the 
Stock Prize List Committee. 
A letter from Captain Sherston, suggesting plans for the improve¬ 
ment of the show of horses at the Society’s meetings, was also referred 
to the same Committee. 
TOY PIGEONS—THE ARCHANGEL. 
This is a peculiar and gorgeous breed. It is not an old one, or 
at any rate has not been very long known to English Pigeon 
fanciers. The first mention of it which we have seen is in the 
“ Dovecote and Aviary,” published about thirty years ago. The 
