370 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 23, 1890. 
not one man able to build a first-class circular rick at either of the 
six farms we had then in hand. Since then frequent journeys 
through the midland and southern counties has enabled us to see 
many a goodly rick, and quite recently we have seen a considerable 
number at different farms in Berkshire, and at the home farm to 
which our title has reference we saw at the homestead some 
magnificent ricks alike remarkable for large size and symmetrical 
proportions. Every stack was built upon a timber stand raised 
upon stone piers some 2 feet or more from the ground, well out of 
reach of rats and damp, with the sides swelling outwards with a 
gentle curve upwards to the eaves of the thatch, which with the 
sides was clipped closely, not an ear of corn being wasted, and the 
stacks were literally damp proof and vermin proof. They were 
simply perfection, and if only such corn stacks were the rule and 
not the exception we should soon cease to hear complaints of the 
ravages of rats, aye and of mice too, for these “ unconsidered 
trifles ” do much mischief j in the aggregate. It was at another 
home farm in Northamptonshire last year that we were standing 
near an old Wheat stack of such an exceptionally large size that we 
were curious to know all about what area of land the noble stack 
represented, and the quantity of corn it was supposed to contain. 
While these particulars were being discussed we called the bailiff’s 
attention to a powerful odour of mice which came from the 
stack. The mice were certainly there in large numbers, and very 
muck corn must have been consumed and spoiled. It could not be 
helped, for the stack was built on the ground, but the wisdom of 
keeping over such stacks is as questionable as is the system of build¬ 
ing them. 
The homestead of the Berks farm had other especial attractions. 
The bailiff’s house, a substantial building of brickwork and tiles, 
was well placed in a central position, whence speedy access could 
be had to the entire homestead, and the farm buildings were all 
sound, plain, business-like structures, every one of them being 
admirably adapted for its especial purpose. The entire floor of 
the barn was of asphalt, with brickwork carried up from the floor 
sufficiently high to exclude vermin, which were also kept out by 
well-fitting barn doors and good door sills, often the weak point of 
a barn. In making asphalt floors the ordinary practice of making 
the part which answers to the old threshing floor between the 
central doors 3 inches thick, and the remainder only half that 
thickness, answers very well if no heavy vehicles or horses ever go 
upon the thin part ; if they do it soon becomes broken up, so that 
it generally answers best to have the entire floor of an uniform 
thickness of not less than 3 inches. One of the best floors we have 
had made was of Portland cement concrete 4 inches thick. If well 
done there is nothing more durable, and much experience of such 
work has led to the conclusion that it is superior to asphalt, wood, 
or hard bricks. The granaries were separate buildings with raised 
floors on piers, quite out of reach of harm from damp or vermin. 
Especial attention had evidently been given in this matter in all 
the buildings, and we may remark in passing that a damp-proof 
floor is not a difficult matter to contrive for a granary on the ground 
floor, and if the granary is made over stables or other buildings the 
floorboards should always be matched and tongued to prevent any 
subsequent trouble from shrinkage. It is really singular how 
frequently this simple but important matter is overlooked. Many 
a faulty old granary floor have we had to replace ; weak joists 
and thin un-tongued boards both pointing to contracts, cheap 
or scamped work, false economy, and ignorant or careless super¬ 
vision. 
The swine were not confined in stys, but had the large com 
modious sheds which we have found to answer so well. None of 
the farm workmen are allowed to keep a pig at their cottages, but 
they have what pork they require at a very low price from the 
farm, and the various other privileges of which we were told 
showed that they had a kind and considerate master. The pigs 
were ompact, well-bred animals, the only fault being in the sows, 
which were somewhat over-large and heavy. This is a general 
fault worthy of attention, for an unwieldy sow so often smothers 
or crushes its pigs under its huge carcass that it is best fattened 
and sold. 
The cattle were all out on some capital pasture, some twenty 
store beasts being brought on for stall feeding by having a certain 
quantity of dry food regularly out on the pasture. This was given 
them in tubs made by sawing paraffin casks in halves, a cheap and 
efficient substitute for the ordinary iron pans. For water they 
had the Thames flowing through the pasture, a limpid stream 
innocent of any of the foulness of its waters near London. No 
attempt had been made to finish the beasts on the pasture. The 
most forward in condition would go out for the butcher by Christ¬ 
mas, and the remainder in the following two months. They were 
evidently managed under a well tried and excellent system, and 
we parted from our friend, the able manager of the farm, with 
a feeling of pleasure, a sense of something gained, which the 
inspection of such a farm always affords. 
WORK ON THE HOME EARM. 
Corn sowing on heavy land has been hindered by drought, but enough 
rain has now fallen to set plough and drill going again, and the remark¬ 
able continuance of fine weather is much in favour of good and brisk 
work of all kinds on the land. We certainly enter upon another farming 
year with the land generally cleaner than it has been for several years, 
and all work well forward. A glut of Wheat in the market has caused 
prices to continue falling, but Michaelmas brings with it such urgent 
demands for money that it must be had even at a sacrifice. 
Cows and store cattle are now taken into the yards at night, and 
complaints of a falling off in condition of forward beasts, through undue 
exposure on cold nights, show either a want of convenience or of care in 
affording the necessary shelter. Both cows and beasts will go out to 
graze on all fine days till about the end of the month, when they will 
have become settled in winter quarters. Cabbages are exceedingly good 
this autumn, and they will come into full use towards the end of the 
month as grass feed falls off. Such a supply of green food is then in¬ 
valuable to prevent both cows and store beasts from a falling off in 
feeding, as they are confined more and more to yard and fatting shed. 
We have already seen some sheep folded upon Cabbages, which may be 
a sign of plenty, and of the predominance of sheep over cattle. Leading 
East Anglian farmers still declare sheep to be the farmer’s best friend. 
They are wise, for many a man has cause for bitter regret just now over 
losses upon high-priced store cattle. 
Potatoes are being lifted and stored in excellent condition, the per¬ 
centage of diseased tubers being small, and the bulk of the crop is a 
bright fine sample. Magnum Bonums have certainly developed haulm, 
at the expense of tubers, which are, however, remarkably free from 
disease. Seed is being carefully selected for another season, and it will 
be placed thinly in a dry shed where it is safe from frost. No seed 
Potatoes should ever be placed in heaps and left there to sprout. Such 
abortive growth exhausts the seed and seriously affects the next crop, 
which suffers a proportionate loss in vigour and productiveness. It is 
a good plan to give a trial to some new sorts every year, for it is certain 
that the best way of keeping down loss from disease is to plant only 
sorts that are comparatively new and in full vigour. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 AM. 
IN THE DAT. 
• o c3 . 
Hygrome- 
p . 
0*2 J 
Shade Tern- 
Radiation 
P 
ter. 
£ P 
si! 
perature. 
Temperature. 
cS 
« 
October. 
& 
<y CCrH 
In 
On 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Qo 
Max. 
Min. 
snn. 
grass 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Iu. 
Sunday. 
12 
30.434 
43.8 
47.1 
E. 
51.6 
64.3 
41.8 
89.3 
£7.2 
— 
Monday. 
13 
30.401 
41.9 
41.9 
Calm. 
60.4 
64.7 
35. 2 
91.8 
28.8 
— 
Tuesday _ 
14 
80.199 
43.1 
42.9 
s.w. 
48.9 
54.9 
34.6 
66. L 
29.8 
— 
Wednesday.. 
15 
29.769 
52.2 
50.4 
S.YV. 
48.0 
56.0 
41.0 
87.6 
85.9 
0.197 
Thursday.... 
in 
19.648 
47.8 
44.0 
vv. 
48.2 
55.6 
40.4 
97.1 
35.6 
0-017 
Friday . 
17 
19.878 
48.7 
44.4 
W. 
47.9 
54.1 
43.0 
67.5 
37.9 
— 
Saturday .... 
18 
29.990 
50.9 
46.1 
w. 
47.9 
64.4 
43.4 
78.7 
38.1 
— 
30.043 
47.0 
45.3 
49.0 
57.4 
39.9 
82.6 
34.8 
0.214 
REMARKS. 
1 ’ ll.—Bright aud fine througho t. 
13th.—Rather dense fog all morning, began to clear about noon, and bright from 1 r.M. ; 
foggy again in evening. 
14th.—Fog all morning; sunshine from 2 to 4 P.M., then foggy again. 
15th.—Bright early ; mild aud sho\ve»y from 9A.M. tol r.M.; bright sunfrom2P. . 
to sunset; heavy shower at 8.45 P.M. 
1th.—Almost cloudless early ; bright morning; high wind, frequent cloud and occa¬ 
sional spots of rain in afternoon; showers at night. 
17 th.—Generally overcast in morning ; fair afternoon with some sunshine. 
18th .—Generally overcast throughout. 
On the whole a bright autumn week, thoughtwojdays were foggy.' Temperature at 
last just below the average, having been aoove it for six consecutive weeks.—G. J. 
SYMONS. 
