JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
404 
[ October 28, 1880. 
for a large flock of breeding ewes, is also a five-course, and will 
be cropped as follows :—First course, 80 acres of Wheat after 
Clover, and part Turnips fed off ; second course, 80 acres, green 
crops in part, and followed by roots; third course, Lent corn, 
80 acres, part Barley and part drege ; fourth course, 80 acres, 
seeded half with Clovers and half with grasses, as before stated ; 
fifth course, of 80 acres old lea, will be 40 acres of Clovers, to be 
cut for hay or fed by sheep ; and 40 acres of grasses, to be fed 
off until midsummer, then ploughed-up and seeded for Turnips, to 
be fed off by sheep eating cake, &c. 
We now come to the most interesting and important courses of 
cropping adapted for the gravel soils, much of which, especially 
as they are for the most part situated in the south and south¬ 
eastern districts, in a climate favourable not only for the growth 
of full crops of cereals, but famous for the abundant root crops, 
which as a rule are grown upon them. The exceptions are those 
gravels having a hard conglomerate of gravel, like concrete, just 
under the plough, which, however, when broken through by the 
steam power suhsoiler generally becomes a useful porous soil. 
The four-course or old Norfolk rotation generally prevails, and 
all things considered we cannot advise any other rotation, except 
a deviation, which will be explained, but still leaving it a four- 
course. In order to describe it we will again assume the farm to 
be 450 acres in extent; the pasture land being 50 acres, leaves for 
cultivation 400 acres. The course is—first, Wheat of 100 acres, 
sown out of Clover lea, and yard dunged, one half of which being 
laid out upon the young seeds in the previous winter or early 
spring months, the other half being laid out immediately before 
ploughing and pressing for Wheat. The object of this arrange¬ 
ment is to have the dung when laid on in a fresh and valuable 
condition. After Wheat comes the second course of 100 acres for 
green crops and roots, and when these soils are free from couch, 
which they are usually, 20 acres would be after harvest in Italian 
Bye Grass, having been seeded in the Wheat at spring time. This 
furnishes abundance of food for ewes and young lambs up to 
Christmas ; it is then ploughed deep and pressed. After harvest 
10 acres of Rye is sown, 20 acres of Trifolium (two sorts), and 
20 acres of early and late Winter Vetches. The root crops will 
follow the 50 acres deeply ploughed after Italian Grass, which 
will be cropped with 20 acres of Mangold and Carrots without 
ploughing the land, but only using the scarifier to keep it clean 
and moist, and no dung to be applied, only artificial manures 
with the drill. After feeding off the Bye, Trifolium, and Vetches, 
Swedes and Turnips will be sown as fast as the land is cleared, 
and sowing Swede seed up to the 20th of June. Common Tur¬ 
nips after that date. This also will be dressed with drill manure 
only. Third course 100 of Wheat, Barley, and Oats or drege in 
the following proportions in a favourable season—30 acres of 
the land cleared early to be Wheat, 30 acres for Barley, and 
40 acres for White Oats or drege. This should be sown not later 
than the 1st of May, as the root land, when a full winter flock of 
early ewes and lambs, both of horned Dorsets or early Downs, will 
be nearly or quite all sent to market, both lambs and ewes likewise, 
because we have seen it done many years in succession. 
This rotation is neither more nor less than growing large crops 
of food in summer and consuming them chiefly in the winter and 
spring, because the bullocks in the boxes are provided for by one- 
third of the root-crop pulled away, the remainder fed off by the 
earliest and best sheep that can be bought, and eating both cake 
and Beans during the whole time ; the young cattle in winter and 
spring receiving Rye, Trifolium, Vetches, and Clover, maintaining 
them in an improving and probationary state until they go into 
the boxes for winter feeding. The fourth course of 100 acres will 
be Clover, 50 acres of broad and Alsike, and 50 acres of Dutch 
Trefoil and Suckling mixed, to be reversed in the next rotation. 
The Clovers will be cut for hay in part, and cut green for feeding 
cattle under cover on the other part. The Dutch, See., will be cut 
for lamb hay, which is the only hay really adapted for them, 
being very soft and fine. Under this system very few sheep will 
be kept in summer, and these being some tegs or ewes to take ram 
early for the winter feeding. We have to name another variation 
in the four-course, for when the land is in high condition, a large 
quantity of cake, &c., having been consumed, the course may be 
somewhat altered, particularly after the land has been marled, or 
clayed and chalked, to give it a little more staple, 10 acres of the 
Red Clover lain may be cropped with early Potatoes instead, and 
the same quantity with winter, not spring, Beans; and also 
10 acres of early Peas to be picked early for market if situated 
near towns, otherwise for feeding lambs, &c. The Wheat crops on 
this soil and rotation may with advantage be the best white sorts, 
such as Essex, Rough chaff, Champion, and Chidham. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour is now chiefly employed in preparing for and drilling 
of Wheat, but on the warm dry soils the seed time is often deferred 
to the end of November and early part of December; for it is fre¬ 
quently found that during the dry weather, like that which has pre¬ 
vailed for some time past, the horse labour can be employed with 
advantage in continuing the work on the autumn fallows. The home 
farmer may be assured that it is best to make the most of this work 
during suitable weather in the autumn, for there is always more or 
less uncertainty in obtaining favourable weather for cleaning the 
land in the spring months ; besides which, every period brings its 
labour required into prominent notice. It is therefore well to make 
available the first opportunity by fallowing and clearing the stubbles 
in the autumn. This idea cannot always be carried out upon the cold 
hill farms, nor yet on flat, strong, and low-lying land, for October is 
the best seed time for Wheat upon both these soils. Carting and 
storing the Mangolds and other root crops will afford partial employ¬ 
ment for some horses. It should, however, be a matter of foresight 
by the home farmer as to whether the roots will all be required at the 
farmstead, for unless that is the case hand labour only need be em¬ 
ployed in heaping and pitting the roots in the field where they grew, 
and where they will be fed by sheep on the land. In the event of 
any portion being required for cattle in the sheds and boxes the roots 
may be carted to the premises at a later period when the Wheat has 
all been sown and the horses more at leisure. If any hindrance to 
the ordinary horse labour of the farm should arise some of them may 
be employed in collecting earth from the roadsides, banks, and borders 
of the fields, &c., and made up into an elongated heap with cone- 
shaped top, and covered with bavins or hedge trimmings, or anything 
which will keep the earth dry. It will then be ready at any time for 
breaking down and screening in readiness for being used at the bottom 
of the cattle boxes, pig pens, &c., for absorbing the liquid manure and 
keeping the animals healthy at the same time. For many years, we 
in our practice used over a hundred cartloads per annum made into 
manure by the cattle, and the home farmer must bear in mind that 
one cartload of saturated earth as above stated is equal in manuring 
value to two loads of straw-made manure. 
Hand Labour .—Trenching in the meadows, hedging and ditching, 
banking, &c., will be going on in the enclosed districts, also the cut¬ 
ting and converting of the underwood in the woodlands and rows 
may now be done to advantage. The land, too, as fast as the Wheat 
is sown upon the heavy lands, should be carefully water-furrowed, 
and where there is but little fall care should be taken to excavate the 
bottom of the water furrows, not only deep enough to clear out the 
land furrows, but to deepen them sufficiently for the water to fall 
into the ditches of its own gravity. This, however, cannot always be 
so correctly done; it is therefore the best plan to look at the work 
again after heavy rains, for accumulated water may then be let off. 
Shepherds in every district have now important work to perform. 
The. fatting sheep will still be folded upon Turnips or Cabbages, 
receiving half a pound of oilcake and a quarter of a pound cracked 
Beans each per day ; where, however, the Beans are omitted the best 
Clover hay should be supplied in moderation, and increased as the season 
advances. The Hampshire down ewes in most instances will by this 
have the rams removed from the flock. The long-woolled flocks will 
still require the rams to remain with them for another month or more 
from this time, because the lambs will not be required to fall until 
the spring grass is nearly or quite ready for the ewes. The horned 
Dorset and Somerset ewes are now lambing fast—at least, all the best 
and earliest flocks. It is a most interesting sight to all who take an 
interest in this breed of sheep. For a long number of years it was our 
pride and our pleasure to possess them ; therefore we are induced to 
say that we consider a well-bred flock of these animals, with nume¬ 
rous twin lambs at their side, is one of the most charming and enter¬ 
taining objects to be met with in the breeding and rearing of sheep 
stock. We can therefore recommend them to the notice of the home 
farmer, where the soil and climate is dry and favourable, both for 
profit and their ornamental appearance in the parklands and pastures 
belonging to noblemen and gentlemen, and we have generally found 
that they have been pleased to see and possess them as part of the 
sheep stock of the estate. As fast as the lambs arrive we place the 
ewes and lambs upon Italian Rye Grass growing in the Wheat 
stubbles, which we sow on the Wheat in the spring, because we have 
found that the ewes will give more milk on this grass than when 
feeding on any other food ; in fact, we have on some occasions sold 
fat lambs at Christmas of the best quality when they have had no 
other food, either ewes or lambs. Cattle of all ages which are kept 
as either store or dairy stock should now receive some Cabbages on 
the pastures daily to supplement the grass, which is now getting 
short, unless where specially reserved for late feeding. All the cart 
horses and young animals of different ages, especially this year’s 
weaned colts, should have a portion of roots with their corn and 
other dry fodder, Carrots being the best; but Swedes will serve a 
good purpose until the spring, at about the March month, when 
Mangolds will be best for feeding until the Rye, &c., is ready. No 
horses should receive more than 10 or 12 tbs. of roots per day, given 
in two portions, which will keep them healthy. 
THE METROPOLITAN DAIRY SHOW. 
The fifth annual Show of the British Dairy Farmers’ Association 
was opened on Tuesday last at the Agricultural Hall, Islington, and 
closes to-morrow (Friday). It is the largest and perhaps the best 
