262 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 18,1890. 
AFTER HARVEST. 
Yes, we are at length able to speak of harvest in the past tense 
once more, as indeed are most farmers south of the Trent. Some 
laggards there are and always will be both in sowing and reaping, 
but the majority gladly hastened to turn to full account the spell 
of fine weather which set in just when the long waiting for it had 
proved so disheartening. No doubt those who got much soft 
Wheat together in August feel some regret that they did not wait 
awhile, but as they took good care to make small ricks the corn 
will certainly soon dry and harden ; and then, too, there is the 
comforting reflection that it was saved without sprouting. 
We have recently listened to the exchange of congratulations 
upon the improvement in the price of Wheat. We heard them 
with regret, because of the certainty of a downward tendency again 
which was inevitable. The fall in price has already begun, and is 
likely to continue, for much Wheat that was in shock at the end of 
August was left out fully exposed to sun and wind well into the 
second week of September, and then carted directly to the thresh¬ 
ing machine. All this will be speedily on sale, for even 35s. per 
quarter is too tempting a price to pass in these times, the 5s. 
over 30s. being sufficient to pay the rent of most of the Wheat land 
at any rate. 
Barley is a better trade, good malting samples ranging as high 
as 45s. for the highest quality. This certainly points to an entirely 
satisfactory result, for the crop on many farms was excellent. 
Some of the best ears we have seen were quite green on the 9th 
inst. This was an exceptionally late field in Leicestershire, which 
was evidently sown very late. To save it in good condition will 
just be a stroke of luck, and it is always better to sow Oats when 
such late cropping becomes a necessity, as they are a safe late crop. 
The Barley season can hardly be said to have begun yet, for buyers 
are always shy of early samples, and do not buy with confidence 
till the sweating in stacks is over. So far as prices go they average 
nearly 7s. per quarter higher than a year ago. 
Prospects of good Clover seed are so bad that old seed is in 
•strong demand, and prices are advancing. The second crop of 
■Clover is fast being mown where it is intended for hay, and more 
of it than usual will probably be converted into hay or silage 
owing to the abundance of feed. Trefoil seed is also almost a 
failure, and seed another season is quite certain to be dear. A 
dripping summer is unfavourable to seed development, but we 
have some compensation in the free growth of all forage crops. 
A recent journey through Worcestershire enabled us to see a 
moderate crop of fine bright Hops being picked in excellent con¬ 
dition. Most pleasant is the sight, sound, and scent of the Hop 
picking, and the local pickers in the west must escape much of the 
competition to which those in the home counties are subject from 
the thousands of Londoners who throng to the Hop gardens now 
for work, and bring down the price of picking. It is always a 
matter for regret when foreign competition or trade experiences 
prove hurtful to such home industries, even though, like Hop 
picking, they are but things of a brief season, and low prices have 
caused a serious curtailment of the Hop area. 
It is unfortunate that a poor fruit crop occurs just when efforts 
are being made to extend fruit farming. The general failure is among 
Apples and Pears, but remarkable exceptions are to be met with, 
and we came upon a Worcestershire orchard with a full crop upon 
most of the Apple trees, and we were shown a huge standard 
Apple tree in a cottage garden bearing a marvellous crop of fruit 
which was valued at £4. Both the orchard and garden were well 
sheltered, and farmers who intend planting will do well to re¬ 
member that shelter often makes the difference between a full 
crop and none at all. Another important point is to plant standards 
and to fill up the space between the trees with bush fruit. We 
much desire also to see more fruit trees in pasture, for if 
only the trees are planted 40 or 50 feet apart, both the pasture and 
fruit trees answer perfectly, and w'hile the trees are growing 
the pasture will pay the rent and something more. Yery 
few and simple are the points of importance in this work—healthy 
trees, good sorts, careful planting, thorough support till the roots 
are so well established in the soil that they cannot bet loosened by 
wind, and the protection of the stems sufficiently to prevent bark 
nibbling by sheep or hares and rabbits. Readers of the Journal 
are so familiar with all such matters that we need not enlarge upon 
them, but we may call attention to the importance of so supporting 
the trees that the bark sustains no harm. In the Worcestershire 
orchards the young trees are placed in a sort of cradle consisting of 
two stout posts driven into the ground on opposite sides of the 
tree, with parallel strips of wood nailed to the post near the top, 
between which the tree sways about with the wind, and the bark 
is battered about so much that growth must suffer. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Every effort is being made to turn the fine autumn to full account; 
and with harvest work ended, broadshares, harrows, and ploughs are 
kept going briskly to get the land clean. The corn stacks are a goodly 
show, and we shall keep the threshing in abeyance till autumn tillages 
are ended and winter corn is sown. A little threshing must be done 
for seed corn ; but that is a trifle—easily managed by threshing some 
of the corn in barn for that purpose. 
With the corn so long about, between the reaping and stacking there 
has been much waste. We have done our best to utilise fallen grain by 
driving turkeys upon fresh stubbles daily, and moving all our portable 
poultry houses frequently to clear up the corn before the surface is 
broken up. Sheep and swine consume fallen ears greedily enough, but 
poultry are required to make clean work of the grain. As old hens 
cease laying they are got rid of, as it never answers to keep them over 
for another season ; and our early pullets give fair promise of soon 
beginning to lay. A supply of turkey poults should now be ready at the 
home farm, and there shou d be a sufficient stock of young birds to afford 
one or two weekly till spring. Geese are not so much in request, and a 
comparatively small number is sufficient. 
It is well to take stock of the poultry occasionally, and to see that a 
full supply of each kind is bred for all possible requirements. Chickens, 
ducks, turkeys, geese, guinea fowls, and pigeons are all in regular 
seasonable demand. It is well to try always to have plenty of young 
pigeons when game is scarce. The dovecots of old manor houses show 
how highly our forefathers relished such fare, and though we have a 
much more varied and more wholesome dietary than was possible for 
them, pigeon pie is still in high favour. 
Among chickens we have reason to give Minorcas a high place as 
table birds. We were induced to purchase some last spring by the 
excellent accounts we heard of the abundant supply of fine large eggs 
which this breed affords, and we have found them alike good for eggs 
and for table. It is true that they are not so large as some breeds, but 
they have small legs and nice plump breasts, are not at all coarse, and 
precisely the sort of chicken liked by a connoisseur. We call special 
attention to this matter, as the table poultry of home farms is so fre¬ 
quently unsatisfactory, and we know the value of a little special 
information in overcoming a difficulty. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 AM. 
IN THE DAT. 
Rain 
1- 
1890. 
September. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32“ 
| and Sea 
| Level. 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
sou 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. 
Sunday. 
7 
30.481 
58.9 
55.9 
N.E. 
60.6 
72.2 
52.5 
107.3 
49.5 
— 
Monday. 
8 
30.469 
55.9 
54.2 
N.E. 
60.0 
72.6 
48.0 
102.1 
44.7 
— 
Tuesday .... 
9 
30.379 
54.8 
54.6 
N.W. 
.59.2 
72.1 
47.8 
94.9 
44.8 
— 
Wednesday.. 
10 
30.217 
60.9 
58.0 
S.w. 
59.0 
75.9 
51.1 
111.1 
46.9 
— 
Thursday.... 
11 
30.195 
61.1 
54.0 
N.W. 
59.7 
72.8 
48.9 
119.9 
44.6 
— 
Kriday . 
12 
30.291 
58.8 
54.7 
N. 
60.0 
69.2 
48.7 
87.7 
44.8 
— 
Saturday .... 
13 
30.261 
52.4 
51.6 
N.E. 
58.8 
65.0 
46.9 
77.5 
43.6 
— 
30.328 
57.5 
54.7 
59.6 
71.4 
49.1 
100.1 
45.6 
— 
REMARKS. 
7th.—Bright and warm ; rather hazy early. 
8th.—Misty early and hazy morning ; bright warm afternoon. 
9th —Misty early, ani dull till about eleven, then bright and warm. 
10 th.—Bright and warm throughout, 
11 th.—Warm and brilliant. 
llth.—Bright throughout. • 
13th.—Slightly foggy all morning ; bright afternoon. 
Another rain'ess week, with very pleasant temperature.—S. J. STMONS. 
