JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
470 
[ November 18, 1880. 
very email animals, they fatten very quickly when out of milk, and 
their beef is much esteemed by the butchers because it is of good 
quality and yielding small joints similar to the Scotch and Welsh 
animals, which sell at the highest quotations for beef. The heifer 
classes at the Dairy Show were not considered satisfactory, nor 
do we believe they are ever likely to be, for the reason that their 
milking powers are not fully developed, and we think that the 
Association may extend their prizes for cows and pairs of cows 
in some other direction, and especially in the encouragement of 
cross-breeding stock. Although the cross-bred animals exhibited 
at the late Show were not well defined by the appearance of the 
cows to enable farmers to say what the crosses were, yet, we 
think, on a future occasion with special encouragement and a 
statement of the breed of both sire and dam of each animal 
exhibited, it would be shown that cross-breeding dairy farmers 
have yet a valuable lesson to learn, which we shall endeavour to 
show in future observations. 
We have turned our attention to cows only, but must not forget 
the bulls, because it is a moot question which has the greatest 
influence in cattle-breeding, the cow or the bull. It is a most 
important matter that the bulls should not only come of a milking 
family, but also that they show what is required in their make, 
shape, and outline ; for if we select a bull for his correct breeding 
within the lines of pedigree, it is impossible to say that it will be 
the parent of the most valuable milking stock ; we even go so far 
as to say that it is more likely to be the reverse. The same 
observations that we have made with regard to the best shape as 
a rule for the best milking cows, will to a great extent hold good 
in well-formed bulls, as required for begetting dairy stock. The 
early Shorthorns, at least when we first knew them, were fre¬ 
quently considered too light in the forequarter, and particularly 
behind the shoulder top, and at the cattle shows generally these 
had no chance of winning a prize, because this peculiar form was 
considered a defect. It is a defect we admit, if we are breeding 
cattle principally for the shambles, but not if breeding stock 
for dairy purposes ; and we can only hope that judges, if they 
agree with us, will possess courage enough to award the prizes 
accordingly. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour .—The Wheat seedtime is now drawing to a close. 
Only a portion of the Turnip land where the crop is being fed off by 
sheep remains to be sown, and since the commencement of the present 
month there has been no hindrance to the horse labour employed in 
working the land and drilling Wheat; in fact, the period is not only 
right for seeding upon all good and dry land in good condition, but 
the state of the land has been all that could be desired. Although 
heavy rains have prevailed in most parts of the kingdom during a 
great part of the month of October, and the low lands were much 
flooded, yet dry soils were benefited by it, because the subsoil was 
comparatively very dry, and any excess of moisture has therefore 
been quickly absorbed. The strong lands have been too wet through¬ 
out the month of October, but even these since the 1st of November 
have been sown with Wheat in capital condition, especially where 
the home farmer has shown patience by waiting for the opportunity, 
although it came rather later than usual. We must now refer to the 
policy of sowing a full lain of Wheat, for during several years past 
a diminished acreage has been sown. We could not, however, recom¬ 
mend the home farmer at present to sow a short lain of Wheat, for 
the general opinion prevails that we have perhaps for several years 
touched the lowest point for our Wheat produce as regards price 
per quarter. This depends upon many circumstances, and cannot be 
acted on with safety. Our idea is that Wheat under any circum¬ 
stances upon all dry or good mixed soils should be considered the 
rent-paying crop, and is likely so to continue. If the weather should 
prove dry and favourable, as at the time we are writing, much of the 
land under autumn fallow, whereon the couch grass has been harrowed 
and brought to the surface, may be cleared of the couch and rubbish 
before the land is deeply ploughed to lie the winter. Some farmers 
do not hesitate to plough the couch in again, even after lifting it out 
of the land by costly labour ; but this is altogether wrong, because 
we have had no weather this autumn to kill the white-rooted couch : 
indeed, summer weather will not always destroy its peculiar vitality. 
We therefore never advise its being ploughed down at any time. 
The sowing of green crops has been finished a long time, if not in 
proper season, and we find both Rye and winter Tares are doing 
well; but with regard to Trifolium the plants have been destroyed 
by the slugs in numerous instances. We remember, however, a 
similar season when the slugs destroyed our first sowing in Septem¬ 
ber after sowing 20 lbs. per acre. We then in October sowed 25 tbs, 
per acre on the same land. This was also destroyed, but on the 13th 
of November we sowed 30 tbs. per acre, and although a hard frost 
occurred soon after the seedlings appeared it stopped the slugs with¬ 
out injuring the Trifolium, of which we had a valuable crop in the 
summer, although a little later than usual. We consider this crop of 
so much importance that we do not hesitate to sow late and use 
large quantities of seed rather than be without the crop in early 
summer. 
Hand Labour .—Mangolds and Potatoes should be finished heaping 
and storing without further delay. Some farmers leave spaces on the 
top of the heap to allow heat to escape, but this also allows the rain 
to enter. We prefer 2-inch drain tiles set on end upon the top of the 
heap at certain distances : this permits any results of fermentation 
to escape without admitting rain. The dairy cows now require our 
especial attention, for their well-doing and giving a good supply of 
milk depends upon the food they receive, and in case of a dairy for 
furnishing milk during the winter and spring months is kept, fresh 
purchases of cows that have newly calved must be made. It is better 
to foresee this matter, and insure the calving all the year round of the 
stock on the farm in order to insure a supply of milk during the 
whole year. The sheep feeding off roots upon the land have done 
well up to this time upon all dry land, but when roots are grown upon 
heavy flat land they should be either carted away for cattle, or other¬ 
wise pitted on the land to be fed by sheep on the land during March 
or April next, when the land will bear the tread of the animals with¬ 
out injury in ordinary seasons. The hay is very inferior this year, 
being damaged by rain as much or more than in any season we ever 
remember. It may be spiced at the time of cutting into chaff if the 
spice was not applied at the time of stacking, for when hay is taken 
up after much rain it still contains nutriment although it does not 
attract the stock. We know of no better or cheaper spice than that 
sold by Bowick & Co. of Bedford. As the pastures are short of 
grass, all young stock should receive Cabbages strewed on the pas¬ 
tures, also those dairy cows which go out to feed. The down ewes in 
lamb should now have grass as long as possible, old lea being best; 
they may, however, have some Cabbages upon dry pasture at night. 
No low-lying meadows should be fed off by sheep at this time of year. 
We find that there is a plan started for the treatment of pastures, 
that where sheep are found to suffer from coathe or rot—namely, to 
apply a moderate dressing of common or manure salt, or fishery salt 
to the pastures now, and another dressing again in March. This is 
said to kill the fluke egg or entozoa, but it should be done every 
season wet or dry; the fluke will then be destroyed in embryo, and the 
asture will be benefited, especially if fishery salt be used. The 
orned Somerset ewes are now lambing fast, and this is a season 
especially favourable for them, for the Italian Rye grass in the Wheat 
stubbles has furnished abundance of food, and will continue to do so 
for another month if the season proves mild. The ewes and lambs, 
however, ought not to render the young Clovers too bare, nor yet lie 
thereon at night time, for it not only injures the Clover plant when 
we have night frost, but Clover layer proves bad for young lambs, 
the Wheat stubbles being warmest for night quarters, as we frequently 
find the lambs suffer from a kind of rheumatism and swollen joints. 
From this they never recover, but should be killed and replaced by 
others. 
CRYSTAL PALACE POULTRY SHOW. 
Once more the poultry fanciers’ great “ Derby ” has come round, 
and the Crystal Palace is lined from end to end with Mr. Billett’s 
pens. The public were admitted on Monday, and the Show remains 
open till five o’clock this evening. It is the twelfth of the revived 
series of annual shows ; large to begin with, year by year it ad¬ 
vanced till it attained its present immense proportions. It seems as 
if this were its utmost limit; and though the quality of the exhibit s 
may improve, their numbers are stationary or vary little from year to 
year. The result is that each class comes as nearly as possible into 
the same position it has before held, and we can scarcely realise that 
we are looking at a set of birds, one-half of which have been hatched 
since we last saw the Palace Show. For one year the Pigeons were 
dispossessed from their central transept, but there they are again in 
all their beauty, and certainly there is no place like it for seeing them. 
But we must not generalise about the Palace; everyone knows it, 
and every fancier knows the charming view it gives of feathered 
stock. Those, however, who are not fortunate enough to get to it 
will want to know some particulars of the year’s results, and how 
they and their friends have fared in the poultry wheel of fortune. 
Dorkings of course come first. We have seen the Darks more 
numerous, but then - average excellence is high. The first adult cock 
is a square dark-coloured bird in good condition ; second a fair but not 
striking bird ; third a nice short-legged bird and good in colour. 
The cup goes to the first hen, a famous old winner which has stood 
before in the same position ; her day is somewhat past, still she is in 
good plumage again, though somewhat loose in crop. Second is a 
deep-bodied bird, short in leg and in good condition. Third is very 
large and fine, a good Dorking in shape. Fourth rather small. 
Cockerels are a fine class of sixty-seven. The cup bird is broad, deep, 
and massive, very dark with bronze on the wing ; second has a 
nice comb and short legs, but white earlobes ; we liked the third, a 
very large bird ; fourth also large, but a very suspicious appearance 
about the back of his comb; fifth a pretty but very small bird. 
