248 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ March 22 ,less. 
be planted the first faxourable weather after the 20th of March ; nor 
do we advise planting Potatoes with yard or town manure, for unless 
it was laid out in the autumn or winter the delay will prove too much 
at planting time, and we therefore prefer hand manures—Peruvian 
guano 4 cwt., and 2 cwt. of nitrate of soda per acre strewed in the 
furrow with the Potato sets. This is all hand labour and saves time, 
a matter of great import where there is much planting to be done. 
This application will prove superior to yard, stable, or town manure, 
and be far less liable to incite disease, particularly if the sets are 
planted not less than 8 or 9 inches, for where the disease occurs we 
have always found the soundest tubers at the greatest depth. All those 
sorts which produce luxuriant haulm should be planted in rows 
3 feet apart; there is so much more room for tilling both with the 
horse hoe and ridging plough, besides which there will be a less num¬ 
ber of small tubers than when planted more closely, and an even 
sample is always most profitable. Some years ago we were asked to 
go and see the result of an experiment, in which whole tubers had 
been planted in hills at 30 inches, 36 inches, and 42 inches apart, and 
the result proved that the greatest number and the largest tubers 
were obtained from the sets planted at the greatest distance apart. 
In farm work it is always important to reduce the number of sets, 
and also give greater facility for interculture. 
Hand Labour .—Much labour will be required on many farms in 
clearing the land of couch grass now in tillage. To facilitate the 
work of clearance we never think of burning it on the land in small 
heaps, but burn it in large heaps when ashes are required for drilling 
on the root-crop seedings. As a rule the couch is carted away to 
decay in heaps, and with some earth attached becomes very useful 
in various ways. The burning is often delayed by rain, whilst the 
carting is done so quickly that the land is ready for seeding without 
delay. 
Live Stock are still selling at very high rates, whether of stores or 
fat stock ; our motto is therefore still in force with benefit, “ Breed 
all you can and fatten all you breed.” The home farmer in such a 
case will then reap all the benefit to be derived from grazing and 
fattening, whereas the benefit is frequently very unequally divided 
between the breeders and the graziers. For instance, why sell at 
present prices any lambs of light weight, when by holding them on 
up to 9 or 10 stone weights they will pay better than by selling at 
any other weights, either lighter or heavier ? Dairy cows now should 
not be turned out to graze or lay out at night until the first week in 
May ; and as there are plenty of roots, such as Mangold and Swedes, 
in hand on most farms, the cows will yield a more regular supply of 
milk if they are regularly managed, so as to insure their comfort and 
judicious feeding under cover for some time yet. Fatting cattle, 
especially animals of two years old and under, pay this year well for 
feeding, and it must be considered that the plan is beneficial on the 
principle of fattening all you breed. 
THE SUNFLOWER IN FIELDS. 
Information has been sought on the culture of this now popular 
flower as a field crop for commercial purposes. I have grown the 
plants in large numbers for chickens, and in fine autumns the seed 
ripened well, but in a dripping autumn a large breadth is difficult 
to deal with satisfactorily, as the seed does not ripen well, and it is 
not easy to harvest in good condition. Those who have bams or 
large open sheds in case of wet weather might dry the heads, when 
they could not be dried in the open air. Since reading Mr. Han- 
bury’s note I have sought for information on growing the Sunflower 
in fields, and find the following in the “ Rural Cyclopaedia.” 
“ The produce per acre will widely vary according to soil, situ¬ 
ation, and culture, but has been found to average about 50 buffiels 
of seed—equal to 50 gallons of oil and about 1500 lbs. of oilcake ; 
and the stems of the crop, if burnt for alkali, will yield about 
10 per cent, of potash, while the leaves may be dried and pulverised 
and mixed with bran for fodder. The crop, however, has a very 
scourging effect on land, and particularly robs it of potash, and is 
peculiarly unsuitable for going before Potatoes in a rotation. The 
soil most suitable is light, friable, and richly alkaline, and does 
admirably well to be manured with fresh seaweed; and if loamy 
or clayey may be advantageously prepared by commixations of 
shell sand, limestone gravel, or any other opening calcareous sub¬ 
stance ; and, in any case, must be well tilled and finely pulverised. 
The situation most suitable is a moderately sheltered one, with suffi¬ 
cient exposure to enjoy free and constant circulation of the air. The 
sowing may be done at any time in March when the weather and 
soil are favourable. The manner of sowing and of transplanting 
may be very varied, but the following has been particularly re¬ 
commended :—‘ Let drills be drawn with a hoe'or otherwise, about 
an inch deep, and about 18 inches asunder; sow the seed therein 
thinly, and cover it over an inch thick; or it may be sown by 
dibbling in, which is the better plan. "When the fourth leaf of the 
young plants has sprouted, and the fifth is ready to sprout, let them 
all but one be removed from each place and planted elsewhere, in 
rows 12 or 18 inches apart, and at a distance of 10 inches in the 
row. Water the plants as they are put down if the weather be 
dry, and dry weather is essential to the success of the crop. Espe¬ 
cial care should be directed to remove all weeds for about a month 
or six weeks, and occasionally to mould up the earth around each 
plant.’ When the heads are quite or nearly ripe, the plants should 
be cut down at about an inch from the ground, and removed to a 
shed or some other place of complete shelter from rain, and there 
left till they become dry ; and either then or afterwards they may 
be freed from the seed ; but they must not, in any case, be left on 
the ground, as they have a great capacity for moisture, and would 
be very likely to attract it and to become filled with insects.” 
In my experience 18 inches is much too close for the rows. They 
are far better 2 feet apart, and in rich soil 24 feet. Kainit is one of 
the cheapest and best manures for this crop, and a dressing of 5 cwt. 
per acre, with two of superphosphate of lime, would not be too much, 
1^ cwt. of nitrate of soda to be applied as a top-dressing after 
the plants are fairly growing, if they do not make satisfactory 
progress. About 2 bushels of seed will suffice for sowing an acre at 
the wider distances recommended. If anyone else can give better 
information than this it will be acceptable.—A Gardener. 
Bath and West of England Society and Southern 
Counties Association. —This old-established Society will this year 
hold its annual Show at Bridgwater on May 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 
and June 1st, and prizes to a large amount are offered for Horses, 
Cattle, Sheep, Pigs, Cheese, Butter, Poultry, &c., and for Horse¬ 
shoeing. The display of implements has always been a very fine one 4 
and among other special and attractive features in connection with 
the Society are exhibitions representative of horticulture, fine art, 
decorative art, and manufactures. Entry forms, &c., can be obtained 
of the Secretary (Mr. Thos. F. Plowman, Bath), and further particulars 
will be found in our advertisement columns. 
The Weather in South Perthshire. — Severe frosts have 
prevailed during the past week, the thermometer registering 10° and 
11° during two or three nights. These have greatly facilitated the 
working of the heavy 14 carse ” soil; and the Bean crop—a very im¬ 
portant one in the district—has been got in very satisfactorily. On 
Saturday blinding showers of snow from the N.E. prevailed during 
the earlier part of the day, and during the evening and early morning 
fully 2 inches of snow fell. Last night we had nearly 7° of frost, 
and, the snow still lying, the country all round has a thoroughly 
winter’s appearance.—N. A. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Duck Eggs {II. Buxton ).—It is impossible to say with any certainty for 
how long the eggs will prove fertile. It is worth trying the next ten laid by each 
Duck, but it is hardly likely that all these will prove fertile. 
Sootch Champion Potato {Bailiff ).—No doubt this variety exhausts 
the soil much more than the earlier sorts do, and manure must be used for the 
succeeding crop accordingly. This is better than making the land rich for the 
Potatoes. We shall shortly publish notes on this subject. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
1883. 
i CS| 
fl CO CD <X) 
5 'J1 > 
? ® 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
| Temp, of 
Soil at 
I 1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
*c3 
« 
March. 
s £ cH 
ffl" c3 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
snn. 
On 
grass. 
Sun. 11 
Inches. 
29.715 
deg. 
37.4 
deg. 
34.9 
N.W. 
deg. 
36.5 
deg 
41.4 
deg. 
26.2 
deg 
74.8 
deg. 
22.0 
In. 
Mon. 12 
29.827 
31.4 
31.4 
N.E. 
86.4 
40.6 
27.6 
83.0 
24.2 
_ 
Tues. 18 
30.045 
34.5 
32.6 
N.W. 
36.2 
45.8 
27.0 
86.7 
22.7 
0.024 
Wed. 14 
29.759 
35.0 
33.8 
N.W. 
36.4 
47.4 
32.7 
89 3 
29.4 
_ 
Thurs. 15 
29.635 
34.3 
31.6 
E. 
37.3 
40.0 
31.0 
74.8 
28.3 
_ 
Friday 16 
29.609 
30.2 
29.6 
N.W. 
37.1 
41.7 
23.8 
82.4 
21.7 
0.010 
Satur. 17 
29.550 
38.C 
36.1 
W. 
31.4 
47.0 
30.1 
86.8 
25.4 
0.125 
29.734 
34.5 
32.9 
36.6 
43.4 
28.3 
82.5 
24.8 
0.159 
REMARKS, 
11th.—Dull and cold ;~snow in evening. 
12th.—Very cold, with bright sunshine. 
13th.—Fine, bright, and calm ; slightly warmer. 
14th.—Cold and bright; sun at intervals. 
15th.—Very cold, snow falling thickly at times ; bright moonlight night. 
16th.—Very bright sunny morning ; cold wind ; cloudy afternoon; moonlight 
night. 
17th.—Fine at first, afterwards showers of hail and rain. 
Temperature almost the same as in the previous week, and remarkably low for 
the season.—G. J. SYMONS. 
