August 26, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 199 
allow heat to escape from the rick more easily. The shepherd upon 
many farms will begin to feed his sheep on the early Turnips with a 
fold at night time ; the lambs in particular, where they are to be for¬ 
warded for the butcher as tegs, may have a run at daytime upon 
Clover, Saintfoin, or fresh pasture, or parkland. All the late Turnips 
which are now fit to hoe must be attended to notwithstanding the 
heavy pressure of harvest work, and this may be greatly facilitated by 
driving the borsehoe across the drills, leaving the plants in bunches, 
which may be singled by hand or hoed out by men according to the 
labour at command. One thing, however, is certain, that after being 
horse-hoed between the drills, and then across them, it will prevent 
the roots from becoming stunted in their growth, and the hand-hoeing 
may be deferred in some instances until the busiest period is over. 
We will suppose that all stubble Turnips have been sown. The next 
move we recommend is sowing Trifolium, which cannot be done too 
early, because the young plant is the more likely to escape the ravages 
of the slugs. The winter Vetches, with a few winter Oats mixed, may 
next be sown ; but these matters must not, or ought not, to interfere 
with the arrangements the home farmer may have previously made 
for the autumn cultivation by steam power of all land intended for 
Lent corn or root crops next spring. Upon many farms, owing to a 
succession of wet seasons, we find that large breadths of corn stubbles 
are very foul with Couch, Water Grass, Milk Thistles, <&rc., and much 
hand labour will be in most cases required to collect and burn, or cart 
away these weeds, leaving the land to be deeply ploughed after Wheat 
sowing is over. 
THE HARVEST OF 1880. 
The Agricultural Gazette has published returns of fhe crops 
from the English counties, the results of which are tabulated as 
follows :— 
CROP REPORTS FROM ENGLISH COUNTIES, 1880. 
Reports. 
Over average... 
Wheat. 
. 18 ... 
Barley. 
... 62 ... 
Oats. 
... 41 .. 
Beans. 
.... 35 ... 
Peas. 
... 26 
,. 81 ... 
... 88 ... 
... 105 .. 
.... 67 .,. 
... 69 
Under average . 
. 65 ... 
... 10 ... 
... 17 .. 
.... 16 ... 
... 22 
164 
160 
163 
118 
117 
The per-centage character of the returns will be seen in the 
following table, which may be compared with those of the pre¬ 
vious years given below :— 
PER-CENTAGE REPORTS OF 1880. 
Reports. 
Wheat. 
Barley. 
Oats. 
Beans. 
Peas. 
. 11 ... 
... 39 ... 
... 25 .. 
_ 30 ... 
... 22 
,. 59 
55 ... 
... 64 .. 
_ 67 ... 
... 59 
Under average . 
. 30 ... 
6 ... 
... ii .. 
_ 13 ... 
... 19 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
On the whole, we must believe that Wheat is considerably under 
a good average. Barley, Oats, Beans, and Teas are, upon the 
whole, above an average. The Potato crop, which has been so 
great, is very far from satisfactory, owing to the very great preva¬ 
lence of the rot. Root crops, except Mangold Wurtzels, are un¬ 
usually good, and the later cuts of hay have been admirably secured. 
How much worse last year’s report was than this is better recalled 
by memory than it is represented by figures. The following tables, 
however, will be examined with interest, for the contrasts which 
most of them present w 
ith that 
which represents the 
crop of 
1880 : — 
PER-CENT A.GE 
RETURNS 
OF HARYE 
ST, 1879. 
1879. 
Wheat. 
Barley. 
Oats. 
Beans. 
Peas. 
1 ... 
4 .. 
_ 20 _ 
.. 41 _ 
4 
,. 24 ... 
... 35 .. 
_ 57 _ 
.. 294 _ 
.. 97 
Under average . 
,. 75 ... 
... 61 .. 
_ 23 _ 
.. 65 . 
Total. 
. 160 
100 
100 
100 
100 
1878. 
Wheat. 
Barley. 
Oats. 
Beans. 
Peas. 
Over average... 
. 24 _ 
,.. 14 .., 
,... 22 _ 
7 . 
6 
. 58 _ 
... 43 ... 
_ 50 _ 
.. 63 . 
,. 55 
Under average . 
.. 18 ... 
... 43 .. 
_ 28 _ 
.. 39 
Total . 
.. 100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
1877. 
Wheat. 
Barley. 
Oats. 
Beans. 
Peas. 
Over average... 
Average. 
.. . 10 . . 
.... 23 .... 
.. 12 . 
.. 8 
. _ 24 I ... 
... 50 .. 
_ 49 .... 
.. 69 . 
.. 61 
Under average . 
. 719 _ 
... 40 .., 
_ 28 .... 
.. 19 . 
,. 31 
Total. 
. 100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
The Mark Lane Express has also published returns, which are 
substantially the same as the foregoing, and remarks—“ If the 
estimates now framed should turn out to have been well founded, 
the produce of 1880 will be largely in excess of the extremely 
meagre yield of 1879. The Wheat crop is below average, Barley 
is above, and Oats are also a little above an ordinary yield. Beans 
may be set down as a little above average, and Peas at a little 
below. There is scarcely a county in which mildew and blight 
are not complained of as affecting the Wheat crop, which seems 
to be tbe worst corn crop of the year, as Barley is the best. Many 
of the reports complain that there is an unusually large proportion 
of shrivelled grain in the Wheats, and that the Barley is small in 
the grain and discoloured by the wet weather of July. Where the 
crops have stood well, however, the quality of boih Wheat and 
Barley is good.” 
BUTTER AT THE CLONMEL SHOW. 
The report of Canon Bagot and Mr. Robertson on' continental 
dairying appears to have already proved of great advantage in 
Ireland, as may be gathered from the following “ judges’ report ” 
of the butter at the Show in question. The suggestions embodied 
in the report are of much more than local value :—“ It is a 
great pleasure to be able to report most favourably of the butter 
exhibits this year, showing, as they do, a marked improvement in 
nearly every point that would tend to raise the character, and 
therefore enhance the price to be obtained for the article by the 
farmers. The variety and excellence of the exhibits made it a most 
delicate and difficult task to sift those out for prizes which by 
their superior excellence deserved such recognition ; and we 
would like to add, for the encouragement of those who were not 
successful in obtaining prizes, that in a show in which almost 
perfection in colour, taste, and body had been reached by so many, 
it was no discredit not to be mentioned, as the slightest deviation 
from the highest standard of excellence in this Show meant 
certain defeat. It was noticeable and worthy of remark that there 
was not a single case of the heavy salting which has been a great 
drawback in times past to Irish butters when placed in comparison 
with the milder, and therefore more palatable, article produced 
and put on the English market by the farmers of Holland, 
Denmark, and France. We found that great care and attention 
had also been bestowed on the packages, and considering how 
important it is that an article like butter should be turned out of 
hand in a firkin clean, handy, and not imattractive to the eye of 
the purchaser, we think it well to place on record the very 
favourable opinion we formed on this important point. In fact, 
as regards the cooper’s art, we agreed that in size, handiness, and 
workmanship, we might almost say symmetry of proportion, the 
packages and packing left little to be desired. In conclusion, we 
feel that if the producers of butter in this country, which is one of 
the finest butter-producing countries in the world, will only take 
the butter exhibited at this show as their standard of excellence, 
and follow it up and keep up such merit in production, they will 
have nothing to fear from foreign competition on putting it on 
the English markets. We would almost venture to predict that 
after they have overcome any slight prejudice there may be 
existing from bygone neglect, they will catch up and surpass any 
foreign producers, no matter whence they hail, and bear off the 
laurels due to the best producer—viz., the highest market price for 
his production.” 
THE POULTRY CLUB. 
A Committee Meeting of the Poultry Club was held on the 
13th at the Charing Cross Hotel; present, Messrs. H. R. Dugmore 
(Chairman), T. C. Burnell, S. Lucas, Rev. J. D. Peake, and O. E. 
Crcsswell (Hon. Bee.) 
A dispute between Mr. J. Turner and Mr. J. W. Ludlow con¬ 
cerning a private sale of a Cochin hen at the last Crystal Palace 
Show had been submitted to the Club, both binding themselves 
to abide by the Club’s decision. An elaborate summary of the 
case was drawn up by Mr. Dugmore, and submitted beforehand 
to both parties interested, to aid the Committee in considering 
it. The following decision was given :—“ The Committee of the 
Poultry Club decide, that taking into consideration Rule 3 of the 
Crystal Palaee schedule according to which ‘ sales can be effected 
only through the Secretary,’ it cannot recognise as valid a sale 
effected in any other way during the show. The Committee there¬ 
fore decide that Mr. Ludlow’s claim cannot be maintained.” 
The question of a new standard of excellence for the judging of 
some breeds of poultry was then discussed at the request of Mr. 
T. W. Anns and other members of the Club. The subject being a 
very wide one, and interesting to many fanciers not members of 
the Club, it was decided to reserve it for discussion at the General 
Meeting of the Club to be held at the time of the Crystal Palace 
Show. 
The Honorary Secretary reported that he had received no answer 
to letters addressed to the Secretary of the late Kingston Show, 
from whom he had asked an explanation as to the deductions of 
an entry fee from the prize money of Mr. P, Haines, who had a 
receipt for his prepayment of the fee. 
Much other business was transacted by the Committee, and the 
