316 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. r September so, m 
an idea of its advantages. The buildings may be constructed in 
two ways—with brick, wood, iron, glass, &c. ; also with brick, 
iron, glass, &c., entirely. The latter proposal is to make the build¬ 
ings fireproof, all except the barn and its surroundings, which 
would contain straw, hay, corn, &c., the burning of which would 
fuse the metal if constructed of brick and metal only. The large 
amount of value in live stock which may be in the buildings 
would therefore not require to be insured against fire. The main 
block of the buildings consists of accommodation for cattle, and is 
but an aggregate of distinct areas, each of 12 feet square. There 
are two double ranges of boxes and two single ranges, with four 
tramways for the conveyance of food and litter and the removal 
of manure. The elongated block of the building runs east and 
west; the horse boxes are on the north side, each 12 feet square, 
excavated 18 inches, so that one box will accommodate one horse 
with manure accumulating under it, or filled with earth will 
afford room for one only or two tethered, and the manure removed 
daily. On the south side is a range of spaces under cover for 
young stock, pigs, See., and a lambing yard for ewes. The other 
or central boxes afford space for fatting bullocks, fatting pigs, &c., 
and are capable of being used for all the purposes required on the 
farm, such as dairy cows, mare and foal, &c. The whole of the 
internal fittings being of iron framed as required are removable 
at pleasure, when the whole area may be used as a covered farm¬ 
yard ; but this will not be required in these days. On the 
western end of the site is the barn, surrounded by lean-to build¬ 
ings, as root, hay, straw, corn, and meal stores, also the house for 
a portable steam engine, for when not employed in cultivating the 
land it is easily placed, and used for thrashing corn at the barn, 
and giving also motive power to the root and chaff-cutters, &c. 
The cattle food when prepared is taken to the cattle boxes by 
three tramways with turn-tables, each leading into the central 
building across a gangway of 20 feet, thus cutting off fire if it 
occurred in the barn. At the east end is the covered dung pit, 
implement shed, drill house, and artificial manure store, with 
tramways leading from the boxes across a gangway into the dung 
pit. The roofing of the building is of iron and glass, and well 
ventilated by its peculiar construction. These buildings, which 
will cost about £2200, are chiefly intended fora farm of 400 acres, 
consisting principally of arable land. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour .—Some horses may still be employed in working the 
land under autumn fallow, in order that the couch and weeds may he 
removed which had been previously brought to the surface. The 
carting of dung on to the fallows and lea ground in readiness for 
ploughing and ridging-up as a preparation for sowing with Wheat 
will be continued, the late rains having greatly improved the condi¬ 
tion of land for ploughing. The fallow land and that where roots 
have been fed off will come up closer and firmer; also the Clover leas, 
which have lately been rather dry and hard, can now be ploughed 
easily, and enable the land to be laid more correctly when turning 
the furrows. The Rye and Trifolium, Yetches, &c., will by this time 
have been sown. The horses must now be employed in preparing 
and drilling winter Beans ; 2 feet apart is the best distance, and 
half a bushel of winter Yetches per acre will answer a good purpose 
if drilled with the Beans. The next work will be ploughing for 
Wheat, especially upon the chalk hill farms, where the Wheat ought 
to be sown earlier than in the vale farms. The management of horses 
at this time of year is very important, because after they cease feeding 
off green fodder it is wrong for them to depend entirely upon dry 
food, such as Oats, Beans, and hay alone, and therefore allow them 
roots of some kind, not exceeding, however, 10 or 12 tbs. daily, and if 
pulped and mixed with hay chaff it will assist them verv much, espe¬ 
cially whilst the seed time for Wheat continues. The best roots are 
white Belgian Carrots, Parsnips, or earlv sown Mangolds ; but Cab¬ 
bages, common Turnips, or Swedes will do better after Christmas, 
when the animals have become accustomed to root-feeding. The 
foals which dropped in May and previous may now be weaned and 
allowed a hovel and small yard attached. If two run together so 
much the better, for they are always quieter when kept in pairs and 
do not attempt to break out when thev have companions, especially 
if they are regularly fed with green fodder or pulped roots. Carrots 
are best, hay chaff, bruised Oats, and a little scalded bran mixpd with 
other food during the first fortnight of weaning. They should also 
be placed, if it can be so arranged, as to be out of sight of other 
horses which may be passing to and fro through the farmstead. 
Hand Tjdbour .—The men will be spreading manure, filling dung 
carts, collecting couch on the fallows and filling into carts, also assist¬ 
ing in turning over the swarths of Clover which may have been held 
over and cut for seed, and assisting at carting and stacking the crop 
as soon as it is pronounced dry enough by the home farmer to be in 
saving condition for carting to rick. It is a common saying that the 
land after a crop of Clover saved for seed should not be sown with 
Wheat, but be held over for Oats or Beans unti' the spring, in conse¬ 
quence of the land being impoverished by a seed crop. But this is an 
error, for the roots of Clover are the nourishment for the Wheat crop, 
and it is proved that the weight of roots is much greater per acre 
after a crop of seed than when the plants are cut for hay or fed off by 
sheep. Dairy cows should now receive Cabbages when they come to 
the stalls at milking time, or else have some strewed over the pasture 
where it is bare. If no Cabbages or other roots are available at this 
time they should get 3 or 4 tbs. of cake each per day. This will not 
only add to the quantity of milk and extend the milking period, but 
improve the quality of the milk and maintain the condition of the 
cows. The weaned calves and all young stock should also get a little 
food beyond that obtained from the grass land, and should either lie 
in the sheds at night or upon a high dry pasture well sheltered. It is 
at this time of year that young dairy stock are so subject to the 
quarter-ill or kill-calf if allowed to remain at night time on the 
meadows and pastures below the fog level. The sooner the animals 
intended for stalling or boxing to be fed for beef are placed in 
their winter quarters the better, as they will consume their allow¬ 
ance of cake, <tc., with but little benefit if left out in the pastures at 
night beyond this period, even if they get plenty of grass upon a rich 
soil. If the home farmer requires to buy bullocks for winter feeding 
let him buy those in good condition ; in fact, at this time of year 
when the farmers in the grazing districts are selling off, cattle just 
beneath the quality required by the butchers can often be purchased 
and fed in boxes to much greater profit than poor animals. The 
stocks of down ewes have offered to the ram well so far, and they 
will continue to remain together for another month. The long- 
woolled ewes, too, should have the rams running with them for the 
next seven or eight weeks, and in case their lambs are to be sold in 
the Metropolitan Market the rams should be of the horned Dorset or 
Somerset breed. The lambs will not come horned, but there will be 
numerous twins, and the coats of the lambs will be much closer and 
firmer—so desirable in the eyes of the butcher. The horned ewes in 
their native counties of Dorset and Somerset will now be heavy in 
lamb, and will be travelling to the fairs for sale. The best place to 
obtain them is at the Appleshaw and Wayhill fairs in Hampshire 
during the first and second week of October, where they are sold in 
great numbers. But the very finest ewes from the choicest stocks 
are often purchased on the farm where they are bred, and sent up 
into the home counties for rearing the house lambs and the early 
supply up to Easter. 
ADVANTAGES OF A HOME FARM.—No. 2. 
SOIL ADAPTABILITY. 
The first thing to take into consideration is the nature of the 
soil, as the basis upon which all our efforts depend, the indicator 
to guide all our subsequent culture, as well as our purchasing of 
stock. For example, on a deep loam or rich alluvial soil we would 
endeavour to form a herd of cows of a good strain of milky Short¬ 
horns, but on light shallow soil Kerrys would be altogether pre¬ 
ferable. So, too, would our arrangements for culture be effected. 
On a plain with level square fields steam tackle could be used 
advantageously, but upon the hill farms we must revert to horses. 
The undulating surface of some of our farms here in Sussex is 
extraordinary. I have had three gangs of haymakers at work 
in a meadow of 8 acres, and each gang would often be out of 
sight of the others in some of its numerous hollows 1 On such land 
steam ploughing is out of the question ; light iron pair-horse 
ploughs answer best, and do as much work with equal efficiency 
as the heavy old four-horse ploughs used to do upon the wealden 
clays. I will refer to 
DRAINING THE LAND. 
Drainage is of vital importance, and should be thorough in 
every part of the farm, both pasture and arable. Much ignorance 
still exists concerning the philosophy of this simple operation. I 
have seen land laid down for permanent pasture after corn with 
the ridges and water furrows unlevelled, yet not one pipe drain 
was laid in the whole meadow, notwithstanding the frequent 
complaints of how cold and wet it was, how soon growth ceased, 
and how badly stock did upon it. 
Upon the home farm here the whole of the land has been 
drained, principally with 2 inch pipes, not wiih invariable success, 
our difficulties being greatest in bogs and steep slopes where 
springs abound, bursting out occasionally in unexpected places. 
A little extra pains and the application of 4-inch pipes is gene¬ 
rally sufficient as a remedy. Bad workmanship is frequently a 
cause of failure. The ordinary method of beginning a drain at 
the lowest point, laying down the pipes and covering them with 
the excavate 1 soil, which is thrown upon them as it is taken out 
to make the drain, so that the Drocess of excavation and refilling 
is simultaneous, is so expeditious and economical that it cannot 
be set aside ; yet it is objectionable upon the score of the facility 
with which it enables a careless workman to conceal any defects 
at once. It is therefore advisable to pay a good price, to exercise 
a close supervision, and to prove each drain before the upper end 
is closed. 
One of the especial benefits of drainage is warmth. Thoroughly 
drain waterlogged soil, and an elevation of its temperature and of 
that of the atmosphere in its immediate neighbourhood soon 
