16 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
I Ju'y 3, 1890. 
LESSONS AMONG THE CROPS. 
Now, while the main crops of the year are in the full flush of 
yammer growth a walk over the farm enables one to get many a 
useful lesson, many a hint, for improvement in the general cultiva¬ 
tion of the farm as well as of particular fields, if only we are able 
to grasp fully the meaning of the pages of Nature’s book lying 
open before us, and to see why the condition of this crop is so 
flourishing, or of that crop so weak. Not in a single season is this 
to be done with a full degree of certainty, for it is impossible to 
know all about any farm till one has had it in hand for two or 
three years. There are, however, certain general indications which 
may be taken as a sufficiently safe guide upon which to base conclu¬ 
sions, so that by the exercise of caution one need not go far wrong. 
For example, when a field of corn has a yellow tinge and 
slender growth a want of manure may be the cause, but this 
poverty of growth and sickly appearance is sometimes present in 
highly manured land, and then it is owing to imperfect drainage. 
We have seen many unsatisfactory corn fields on heavy land 
recently—some with vigorous deep green patches among a gene¬ 
rally weak growth, a sure indication of poverty of soil ; and others 
uniformly weak, either from poverty or wetness. A weak sickly 
appearance of corn plant is often said to arise from cold and w r et, 
and the remark is much more significant than many of those who 
make it suppose, for the cold is not really an abnormally low 
atmospheric temperature, but is that coldness of a waterlogged 
soil which renders anything like luxuriant growth impossible. The 
stoppage of a single drain serves admirably to illustrate this ; above 
the stoppage growth is feeble and stunted, below it growth is 
vigorous and entirely satisfactory. When such faults in drains 
occur the advantage of marking the exact position of every drain 
in the farm map is seen—the fault is entered in the notebook, its 
position shown on the map, so that subsequently, after the crop is 
cleared, the fault may be set right. 
No indication of poverty of soil should be overlooked. If it is 
worth while to cultivate land at all it is certainly worth while 
doing it well. The position of a field often determines the manner 
and matter of manure application. It is notorious that much goes 
to the land nearest the cattle yards, and the balance of fertility 
can be well maintained all over the farm by means of green crops 
for ploughing in, sheep folding, and chemical manures. It has long 
been our custom to winter a lot of cattle in enclosures made 
specially for that purpose on different parts of a farm. By this 
plan much expense for labour and cartage is avoided, and the work 
of storing provision of food for winter near such enclosures is 
already in progress. Large silage stacks are being made now, a 
field or two of roots is sown near each yard, and a certain number 
of corn stacks will also be made there, Beans, Peas, Barley and 
Oats all being cultivated for this especial purpose. The shelter 
sheds erected in such enclosures are built entirely of materials 
obtained upon the estate, and so far as is possible upon the farm 
itself. They are snug, substantial and tolerably neat, but not a 
penny is wasted upon mere appearance ; so long as thorough 
shelter can be had that is sufficient. We make special mention of 
these yards now as a word to the wise, who are looking forward 
and striving to economise as well as improve. In making arrange¬ 
ments for them do not overlook the due provision of water, and 
either place the yard near a stream or a pond. Many a pond have 
we made by turning a main drainage outfall into a hollow space 
deepened slightly by excavation. Recourse can be had to a w r ater 
•cart, but that is precisely one of the things we wish to avoid. 
In our round of inspection a sharp outlook must be kept for 
i iterlope’S among special sorts of corn. We procure enough seed of 
any new sort of promise for tiial at the home farm, and for distri¬ 
bution to off-hand farms if it proves satisfactory, and as the ears 
develope, every plant that is not true to name is carefully sought 
for and rooted up, not necessarily to be wasted, for we have no 
more nutritious fodder than corn in ear, and all stock eat it greedily. 
We had much trouble last season in the clearance of such “ rogues ” 
O 
from our new Mountain White, or Salvator Wheat. This is a white 
bearded Wheat of the Rivett type, which, so far as our experience 
of it goes, contains a rather large per-centage of Rivett Wheat, or 
a sort bearing a remarkably close resemblance to it. 
Old Sainfoin fields that are losing plant fast and becoming very 
foul are among the things we shall see requiring prompt attention, 
and there should be no hesitation about breaking up such exhausted 
layers for another crop. Among weeds there are none so difficult 
to eradicate as charlock, and its first appearance upon a farm should 
be the signal to look for it again and again, and to destroy every 
plant of it before it forms seed. There should be no hesitation 
about this, or it will soon spread over every field, to rob the soil of 
its precious fertility, and when once established it can hardly be got 
rid of again. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Ensilage is becoming more simple every season, and so it ought, 
because silage is just a heap of herbage laden with enough of some 
heavy substance to press it together sufficiently to exclude air. A 
patent apparatus may be used, but it is a mere question of pressure, and 
whether we impart that pressure by chains and screws, or by bags of 
sand, or by the soil nearest to our hands, the result appears to be very 
much the same, and that is just so much wholesome nutritious food. The 
herbage has only to be taken to the heap or stack fresh from the scythe or 
mowing machine, the pressure applied at once and continuously till the 
silage is used, to ensure success. Very simple are these two or three 
points, but they must have attention, and it will not answer to attempt 
to make hay, and to get the herbage into a mouldy sodden condition, 
and then to try an I turn it into silage. 
Haymaking has been much delayed by the unsettled weather, and 
much hay has been spoiled in badly made cocks and in ricks left 
open without rick cloth or straw to protect them. There ought always 
to be a rick cloth with poles, blocks, pulley, and ropes, but for small 
ricks rain can be kept out by keeping the middle of the rick full, and 
the use of a little straw for a covering at night or during showery 
weather. The first crop of Clover is a heavy one, but much of the 
Clover hay will be of doubtful qua'ity, and would have been much 
more valuable if it had been made into silage ; but we are the slaves of 
custom, and much more inferior hay will be made before silage super¬ 
sedes it, as it certainly will one day. 
A dripping June has certainly ensured to us an abundant hay crop ; 
Tares, Sainfoin, mixed seeds, Clover, yellow Suckling are also all a full 
crop. Lucerne is as usual excellent, and of other green crops, white 
Mustard, Cabbage, and Kale are ail a full and vigorous plant, so well 
established and full of growth that hot weather can do little if any 
harm to them now. Of root crops, Mangold, Swedes, and early white 
Turnips are well established and quite safe, while the recent sowings 
are well up, and growing so freely that very little damage from insects 
is probable. The rain has helped on fallow ploughings on heavy land, 
especially as it has fallen with sufficient frequency to soften the harsh 
soil, and we may hope for plenty of hot sunshine to destroy weeds. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Bearded Wheat (J. P. 7?.).—Bearded or horned Wheat is not 
uncommon. It is very productive, and several of the heads sentain 
more than four rows of grains. It is not very extensively grown, as the 
quality is comparatively inferior. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden square. London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 AM. 
IN THE DAY. 
2— 
Hygr->me- 
C . 
r ■*-> • 
Shade Tern- 
Radiation | 
a 
1890. 
ter. 
r a 
perature. 
Temperature. 
as 
« 
June. 
O' >■ 
e o-— 
In 
On 
W2 a 
Dry. 
Wet. 
5o 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass) 
Inches. 
deg 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. | 
In. 
Sunday. 
22 
3 M4S 
58.1 
55.2 
8.W. 
69.0 
60.9 
50.6 
H9.9 
48.0 
0.017 
Mondav . 
23 
30.169 
65.1 
61.0 
U.E. 
68.9 
70.9 
57. L 
88.0 
54.6 
0.012 
Tuesday .... 
24 
30.184 
62.0 
60.4 
<3 # TP. 
5*. 3 
76.9 
57.8 
124.8 
54.1 
0.019 
Wednesday.. 
25 
SO.117 
61.4 
57.4 
s w. 
60.1 
78.2 
55.-1 
122.6 
6‘».4 
0.112 
Thursday.... 
26 
19.948 
50.7 
57.7 
S.E. 
61.9 
67.9 
68.2 
104.2 
57.2 1 
0.102 
Friday . 
27 
1.9.830 
60.4 
/S.7 
K W_ 
611.0 
69.3 
49.3 
120.8 
46.3 
— 
Saturday .... 
28 
29.815 
60.5 
64.0 
S.W. 
59.9 
66.1 
49.1 
110.0 
44.9 1 
0.533 
.30.(30 
61.0 
57,1 
59.9 
70.9 
58.9 
111.6 
50.8 | 
0.795 
REMARKS. 
22nd.—Generally overcast, blit occasional sunshine. 
23rd.— Dull and threatening throughout; mist, or fog at midday. 
24th.—Shotvery till 10.30, then tine; bright and warm in the afternorn. 
25th.—Rright and warm ; a little cloudy in the afternoon. 
2(5th.—Wet from 3 A.M. till 1134 a M.; showery to 3 3 1 1\M., then fine and bright. 
27ih —Gene’ally bright. 
18th.—lirieht early: spots of rain at 10.30 ; then clondy and very wet from 2 p.M. 
A showe-y weik : the temperature continues netr the average in sp te of the n dice- 
able absence of het days, betause the nights keep warm.—G. J. SYMONS. 
