310 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 12, 1883. 
I I 
much under ensilage food as to give as much as any ewe in the 
general flock.” In conclusion we must observe that various great 
authorities have given some statements of their opinions as to the 
probable value of ensilage, none being decidedly opposed to it. 
Amongst them are Dr. Voelcker and Sir J. B. Lawes, with other 
celebrated chemists abroad, but their evidence and opinions are 
of a too lengthened character for our columns on the present 
occasion ; we have therefore chosen that our paper should only 
bear as much as possible upon the practical value of ensilage to 
the home farmer up to the present time. There is, however, a 
large and important future before us, in which a much greater 
number than have yet appeared will display their intelligence and 
researches into the subject of ensilage both of agriculturists, 
chemists, and others at home and abroad, whichjwe hope to notice 
on a future occasion. 
■WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Ilorsc Labour .—Horses have lately received little hindrance in the 
work and tillage required for both Potatoes and Barley as well as 
White Oats. We must, however, call special attention to the cultiva¬ 
tion and seed time for Barley. We like to till the land into a fine and 
pulverised surface for Bailey, but do not expect a good malting sample 
if the seed is drilled later than the 14th of April, nor if the land is 
deep and loamy and in too high condition, especially after roots fed 
off by sheep eating cake, &c., but still there in some safeguard in 
drilling 2g bushels per acre at 11 inches apart between the lines. On 
one of the best conducted farms we have ever seen on the range of 
chalk hills (reaching from the eastern counties down to Devonshire) 
all the corn was drilled at 12 inches, but especially up«n the white 
and shallow hillsides near the downs. Capital -malting samples of 
Barley had been produced on this system for the long period of 
forty years, during which had observed the cultivation, and on con¬ 
tiguous farms the corn drilled at 7 inches seldom yield a malting 
sample. We do not hesitate to sow the White Canadian or White 
Victoria sort instead of Barley on good tillage after the 20th of April, 
for in the year 1858 we had a remarkable illustration of the com¬ 
parative result of the advantage of growing these early varieties of 
White Oats, especially the Canadian, in preference to Barley. Part of 
a field being cropped with Barley and part with these White Oats 
the land being previously treated and prepared in the same manner 
was sown at the same time, at harvest the Oats were ripe three weeks 
earlier than the Barley. Upon threshing the crops the Oats yielded 
eighteen sacks per acre, and weighed 45 lbs. per bushel, while the 
Barley only gave nine sacks per acre of thin inferior grain. Both 
samples of corn were sold in the same market on the same day at 
28s. 6d. per quarter. The value of the Oat straw as fodder was much 
greater than the Barley straw. The result of this comparative crop 
added to our former experience in the matter quite decided us in 
giving up the culture of Barley on loamy land in a high state of cul¬ 
tivation. We had noticed for some years previously and heard many 
farmers complain that they could not grow the Barley so good in 
sample as formerly even on bind soils well adapted for its culture. 
This arises in our opinion from two or more causes—first, Barley will 
not bear excessive manuring on any soil, but we fear that a constant 
repetition of the crop every four years has much to do with the ill 
success complained of. 
Hand Labour .—The men will be employed in cutting and stripping 
oak timber, the women in setting up bark to the poles. But we 
advise the home farmer or steward to use equal caution in cutting 
and clearing Oaks amongst the ornamental timber in parkland pas¬ 
tures, for unless to the practised eye it is very difficult to estimate 
the exact result of removing certain trees until they are down ; 
mistakes are often made in this way, but as they cannot be set up 
again the mistake is irreparable. On the other hand we know many 
parks in various districts so crowded with timber that it is more like 
coppice land, and the pasture for want of sun and air becomes sour 
and unprofitable ; and it is further objectionable, for it is useless for 
gentlemen to say we have magnificent trees in our park if they are 
hidden by a crowd of unsightly growth. 
Live StocJc .—On the vale farms the young lambs, whether Downs or 
Long-wools, will now feel the effects of the late frosty weather which 
reduced an early-looked-for crop into a later one, for the Rye and 
Grass in the water meadows were so severely checked in growth that 
they are later for feeding than usual ; still there is generally, where 
due care has been taken, either some Swedish Turnips still left, or other¬ 
wise, which is better, some of the Golden Tankard Mangold. The latter 
is the best for spring food, as the quantity of saccharine matter con¬ 
tained makes them not only fattening food, but if fed in moderation 
with Bean or Barleymeal is not likely to scour the animals either of 
ewes or lambs. The only thing against Mangold for wether lambs or 
tegs is that they produce stoppage of urine for lambs in high condition 
at half growth. On some farms stubble Turnips are grown instead of 
Rye, to be hurdled off just as they come into bloom. The hybrid 
Scotch variety is used for the purpose, and they stand the winter well 
and bloom later. The lambs running forward eat off the leaves and 
blossoms and do remarkably well. The roots, although only small, 
are passed through the cutter for ewes mixed with cake cakemeal, 
both ewes and lambs going out daily into the water meadows or early 
Italian Rye Grass. After the Rye or stubble Turnips are fed the 
land is ploughed and worked fine and drilled with Mangold seed and 
superphosphate without other manure, for when the roots are fed 
and the stalks, &c., remaining are ploughed in after cake feeding the 
land usually produces a full crop of Mangold. All milking dairies 
will now have a large portion of the cows dropping their calves at this 
time, and with well-bred stock the calves are valuable, especially of 
the Devon, Hereford, or Devon and Shorthorned cross, to go on and 
suckle for veal, and they are usually sold at a moderate price, for the 
dairyman gets rid of them at a few days or a week old, except a few 
heifer calves from the best milking cows to save for the increase of 
his own dairy stock. 
East Lessons on Dairying. —This is the title of a very useful 
little Ad. pamphlet by the Rev. Canon Bagot, LL.D., published by 
Messrs. W. H. Smith & Son, London and Dublin, who labours so 
commendably in improving the dairy industry, in Ireland especially. 
A significant hint has prominence on the title page of this manual— 
namely, that Great Britain and Ireland are now paying £14,000,000 
per annum, or £38,000 daily, for foreign butter. The following subjects 
are treated in the pamphlet in a brief clear manner :—The dairy, 
cows, milk and milking, cream and cream-setting, Lavel’s separator, 
churning, colouring of butter, butter worker, salting and packing, 
calf-rearing, winter dairying, and dairy accounts. Landed proprietors 
and clergymen might well bring this concise and useful manual to 
the notice of the farmers and cow-keepers of their districts with 
mutual advantage. It is a miniature text-book on the important 
subject on which it treats. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Mustard in Fields (A. IF., Sussex ).—The best time for sowing White 
Mustard as a field crop is the end of March or beginning of April. The land 
should be clean and worked fine, also manured with 1 cwt. of, nitrate of soda 
and 2 cwt. of bone superphosphate pef acre ; 20 lbs. of seed will be sufficient 
for an acre sown with Bennett’s broadcast seed barrow. For a full account of 
the cultivation, uses, &c., of this crop we recommend you to obtain the back 
number of this Journal dated October 9th, 1879. 
Cream Cheese (Inquirer ).—A first-rate article may be made from a 
quart of cream, to which add a pint of new milk. Then warm it in hot 
water to about 90° Fahr., and add a tablespoonful of ordinary rennet. Let 
it stand till it thickens. It should then be broken slightly with a spoon 
and placed in a frame according to size required—about 8 inches square is 
usual, and 4 inches deep, in which a fine canvas cloth has been placed; and 
then it should be pressed slightly with a weight. Let it stand for twelve 
hours, after which it may be lifted out and replaced in a fine muslin cloth 
over which a little salt has been powdered. In a day or two it is fit for use. 
Or the cheese may be enveloped in small straw or rush mats after being 
powdered with salt. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
• Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
HATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
B 
« 
1883. 
April. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 329 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg 
deg. 
deg 
deg. 
In. 
Sun. 
1 
30.321 
43.6 
40.0 
E. 
39.6 
53.7 
33.0 
73.5 
27.6 
— 
Mon. 
2 
30.147 
44.3 
41.0 
N.E. 
39.4 
63.2 
29.8 
98.4 
24.7 
— 
Tues. 
3 
30.215 
45.7 
42.8 
W. 
40.4 
65.6 
36.0 
103.0 
30.4 
— 
Wed. 
4 
30.262 
54.2 
51.2 
N.W. 
42.0 
64.0 
42.8 
96.4 
35.3 
— 
Thurs. 
5 
30.254 
51.5 
47.7 
N.W. 
43.4 
68.9 
40.4 
107.9 
34.5 
— 
Friday 
6 
30.536 
48.5 
43.0 
N.E. 
45.0 
66.3 
41.8 
102.8 
42.3 
— 
Satur. 
7 
30.670 
42.4 
39.4 
N. 
45.7 
56.5 
34.2 
95.1 
32.2 
— 
35344 
47.2 
43.6 
42.2 
62.6 
36.9 
96.7 
32.4 
— 
REMARKS. 
1st.—Hazy at first; dry, fair, and calm. 
2nd.—White frost in early morning ; fine, bright, warm day. 
3rd.—Fine and clear early ; 8 a.m. thick fog, and dark till about 10 A.M., after¬ 
wards fine, bright, and mild. 
4th.—Hazy and dull at first; fine, warm d \ very'calm. 
5th.—Fine and warm ; wind in evening. 
6th.—Fine and bright; cold N.E.’wind. 
7th.—Fine and bright, but cold. 
The past week has been remarkable for the extremely high temperatures by 
day, the maxima averaging 62'6° against 48 - 5° last week, and 42T° the week 
before. The nights have remained cool; in fact the average minimum this week 
has been 36’9°, and in the week ending January 6th it was 43'2°. Of course 
from these remarks it follows that' the weather has been very trying, the daily 
range averaging 26°, and being on the 2nd more than 33°. The barometer has 
been very high, and there has been no rain.—G. J. SYMONS. 
