September 23, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 297 
- Boyal Agricultural College.—M r. John Scott has been 
appointed Professor of Agriculture and Estate Management in the 
Boyal Agricultural College at Cirencester. Mr. Scott studied agricul¬ 
ture at the University of Edinburgh, and has had many years’ prac¬ 
tical experience in farming, estate management, and land valuing, 
both at home and in the colonies. He is the author of two well- 
known books on farm and estate valuations, and was formerly Editor 
of the Farm Journal. 
-Effects of the Harvest.—W hatever may be the reports 
about the harvest from different parts of the country, the returns 
from the Statistical and Corn Department of the Board of Trade are 
most satisfactory. The price of Wheat, Oats, and Barley was con¬ 
siderably lower last week than it has been for any corresponding 
week for several years past. The average price of Wheat last week 
was 39s. lid. per quarter, or 8s. 2d. per quarter lower than it was for 
the corresponding week for the preceding four years. The average 
price of Barley was 33s. 5d., or about 8s. 2d. cheaper ; and the average 
price of Oats was 20s. Id. per quarter, or about 4s. per quarter lower 
than it was for the corresponding weeks for the preceding four 
years. 
- Goat Show. —The Goat Show at the Alexandra Palace 
proved a great success, a large number of these interesting and 
useful animals being exhibited. The first prize for a he Goat was 
won by a remarkable animal belonging to the Baroness Burdett- 
Coutts, a Hungarian Goat of great size. Mr. G. Tredgold was 
placed second with a finely formed animal. The development of the 
size of Goats is one result which the British Goat Society hopes to 
attain by the discouragement of too early breeding. Mr. Stephen 
Holmes Pegler, the Hon. Secretary of the British Goat Society, the 
Judge at this Show, sent to the Exhibition (though not for compe¬ 
tition) a most interesting animal—the Angora or Mohair Goat. 
Among the foreign Goats were some belonging to Lady Emily 
Pigott, including a Spanish Goat. Mr. Clarence Bartlett, one of the 
pnzetakers, showed a Nubian Goat. According to Mr. Pegler, who 
is the author of a book on Goats, these are the “ points ” to be looked 
for in a good milch Goat:—She should be “ as large as possible in 
size, with small compact head, broad at the forehead and narrow 
about the muzzle, eyes large and prominent, the shorter the horns 
the better (those devoid of any being usually very good milkers), 
ears large and somewhat pendulous. The hair of the body should 
be tolerably short, hard, and stiff, and not too abundant. Large 
teats are almost as essential as a big udder.” It was interesting to 
note the number of Goats coming up to this standard at the Exhi¬ 
bition. One of the finest was shown by Mr. Crookenden, but which 
only secured a second prize because of its breed not being con¬ 
sidered so purely British as Mr. Clark’s, which accordingly took the 
first prize in a class entitled British she Goats. Babylonian, Dutch, 
and Circassian Goats are exhibited, and a number of kids of different 
varieties. The Show was ably managed by Mr. Wilson, late of the 
Crystal Palace. 
- The Speaker on Farming. —At Glynde Harvest Home, on 
Saturday, the Speaker of the House of Commons gave his annual 
address to those engaged on his estate. He said he had been a farmer 
thirty years, and throughout that period had keenly watched the 
harvest periods from year to year. The weather during the late 
harvest had been among the best ever enjoyed, so far as his know¬ 
ledge went. He thought he could speak with confidence in stating 
that the harvest period of last year was one of the worst on record. 
He had prepared a statement showing the rainfall, sunshine, and 
number of rainy days during the months of January to September 
1879-80. The facts were very interesting. They showed that in 
August of last year the fall of rain was nearly 6 inches, while during 
the corresponding period this year the depth in the district was less 
than an inch. The average rainfall of the district was rather over 
2 inches per month, and therefore the disastrous consequences attend¬ 
ing the great additional quantity of rain last year were easily under¬ 
stood, as well as the beneficial effects of the decrease during last month. 
He feared that 1879 was a most disastrous year to those engaged in 
agriculture,both owners and occupiers. It was satisfactory,however, 
to know that while two classes had suffered greatly, those actually 
engaged in the cultivation of the land had suffered no diminution in 
their wages, and they had brought to them supplies of food from all 
parts of the world at the cheapest rates. There are some who 
believed the English farmer cannot successfully compete in food 
production with his rival in the Western World; but he had no 
misgivings on that score, provided we were blessed with average 
seasons. 
- The Fowl Omnibus. —Now that the crops are pretty well 
carried, and the ground is dry and hard, there is the best chance possible 
for the farmers’wives to insist upon the institution of a fowl omnibus 
or two on every farm. This simple and too-much-ignored apparatus 
consists of a travelling waggon, which may be of almost any shape 
and size, from that of a railway carriage to that of a bathing machine. 
A moveable house, such as many gipsies use, would answer the pur¬ 
pose admirably ; but nothing is better than the vehicle from which 
it derives its name, and which is the most durable as well as the 
most capacious to be found. The inside of the carriage, whatever it 
may be, is prepared for its new use by being cleared of all its usual 
fixings and adornments, and provided in the place thereof with a 
great number of perches fixed crosswise from the roof to within a 
few feet of the floor, and arranged so that each row is a little on 
one side of the one above, and not directly beneath it. Upon these 
perches the fowls roost in rows, and they can be packed very close 
indeed as long as there is plenty of ventilation at the top, and the 
floor is well strewn with sand or sawdust. The manner of employ¬ 
ing the fowl omnibus is this : As soon as a corn field is cleared of 
crops it is wheeled out to the stubble with all its occupants safely 
shut in. The door is then opened, and they either fly or walk down 
a convenient causeway constructed for the purpose. The stubble 
affords them not only abundance of food of great variety—both 
grain, insects, and earthworm—but also a spacious recreation ground 
over which they roam at large. Towards evening they are said to be 
always ready to return—tired, but contented—to their shelter, when 
the door is shut and secured, and the happy family is) left in peace 
till the morning, or wheeled back to the yard if there is any fear of 
nocturnal thieves. When one pasture ground has been well cleaned 
a move is made to another, and the chickens are thus kept going for 
weeks without any expense, and return to the poultry yard in excel¬ 
lent condition for being fatted or even slain at once.". The land is at 
the same time immensely benefited by the clearance of slugs, insects, 
and grubs which the feathered holiday makers have effected.—( Irish 
Farmers' Gazette.) 
- Guinea Fowls.—T he domestic Guinea Fowl in ordinary 
circumstances can hardly be considered profitable poultry, but its 
character has nevertheless been considerably belied. We have heard 
it said that it could not be kept on account of the screeching noise it 
makes ; but we cannot understand how anyone objecting on that 
ground can abide the noise of an ordinary cock, much less of an 
ordinary farmyard ; since, disagreeable as the cry is (resembling the 
noise of a creaking axle more than anything else we can think of), it 
is very seldom heard near the house. Sounder objections are found 
in the straying proclivities of the fowl; its disposition to lay away, 
by which many eggs are lost; and its pugnacious habit of beating 
other varieties of poultry. But for this latter trick it would long 
since have been naturalised as a game bird, having been turned into 
covert with perfect success ; but it was soon found that the Guinea 
Fowls drove away other descriptions of game to such an extent that 
the birds had to be destroyed on that account, the Pheasants being 
most valued. As a domestic bird, however, these bad qualities are 
susceptible of much amelioration, provided the treatment be kind and 
good. It is almost hopeless to commence a stock with adult birds ; 
directly they are left at liberty they are “ off,” and probably never 
return. But by setting eggs under common hens, and rearing them 
at home, they grow up much tamer, and will flock round the person 
who feeds them, and even allow themselves to be taken up and petted, 
like other poultry. When reared thus kindly, and secluded nests are 
provided, they will generally lay in the house ; and if perches are 
placed high for them, and they are regularly fed every night, will 
roost at home also. So far domesticated they will pay to rear in 
places where they can have ample range for their flesh alone, which 
