148 
JOURNAL OF HORTIGULTU IE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ An M&t 12, 1386. 
THE FLOCK. 
Under the agricultural depression we have seriously to 
consider ends and aims in farming, to pass in review all that 
has been done, to discard whatever is unprofitable, and to 
retain only such crops and animals as are calculated to afford 
some return upon reasonable outlay. That sheep “ pay ” 
even now there can be no doubt, both upon arable and grass 
land, and it is well therefore to consider how they may be 
best turned to advantage. “ Light land for sheep ” is an 
article of faith among farmers generally; may we not go 
farther, and say all land is suitable for sheep if it is under 
sound cultivation ? Heavy land is often condemned for 
sheep in winter; yet if it is made sound by drainage, and 
porous by dressings of lime, burnt earth, or coal ashes, we 
see no reason why sheep may not be kept upon it the year 
round, if yards and lodges are provided for shelter. 
The present month may be regarded as the best time in 
the whole year for the re-arrangement of the flock. The 
weaning is over, the drafting of lambs for breeding, for 
hoggets, or for sale has been done, tup sales are beginning, 
and preparations for the ensuing breeding season are now 
being made. Hoggets, if selected with care, answer best for 
folding in winter and spring, and the root crops are now for¬ 
ward enough in growth to show that there will be an ample 
provision of food for the purpose. Just now it is folding upon 
Kye Grass, Clover, Sainfoin, or Lucerne that demands 
attention ; and we have been purchasing old sheep for this 
particular purpose for several weeks, as opportunities 
occurred. Preference is given to old sheep for summer and 
autumn folding, both for the freedom with which they adapt 
themselves to changes of diet and for the profit at which 
they can be sold subsequently. Coming from the lambs, as 
most of them do, very low in flesh, they soon improve in 
appearance upon a liberal diet of green food, with corn and 
bran or cake, and they certainly do the land much good if 
the folding is well managed. Our especial object is to impart 
fertility to the soil at as little cost as possible. Old sheep 
bought at the rate of 25s. apiece, if healthy, answer better 
for this purpose than anything else we have tried, for by the 
time they are fattened they have passed over much land and 
are sold at a price which affords some profit upon our outlay 
for the sheep, food, and labour. 
Last summer we had a Clover layer, the growth of which 
was so weak as to show clearly the poor condition of the soil. 
Old sheep were passed over the whole of it in folds, enough 
Waterloo cake being given to fatten them. Ploughing fol¬ 
lowed the folding closely to prevent waste of manure by 
evaporation, and in due course Wheat was sown, with a half 
dressing of pure home-mixed chemical manure. Another 
half dressing of chemical manure was given early in sprint, 
and we have now a fine crop of Wheat, showing in no uncer¬ 
tain manner that the land is reclaimed from poverty and loss 
to fertility and profit. By sheep folding only we could not 
have been so successful, but it ought certainly to be regarded 
as laying the foundation of our success. At the present time 
we have one flock of old sheep folded upon a coarse growth of 
Meadow Grass, such as is usually thought must suitable for 
cattle. It is a poor pasture, and we know that by sheep¬ 
folding we can do much to improve it. Lambs would not 
answer for such a purpose ; they would not eat such herbage 
closely, nor would their excrement enrich the soil sufficiently. 
At another farm we have just begun folding old sheep 
upon a second growth of Bed Clover. We bought this flock 
for 20s. Gi. apiece, and if we are able to dispose of them 
after the folding as fat sheep at about 40s. they will answer 
very well. Experience has shown that this estimate is a safe 
one, and we may add that it is based upon the results of our 
practice last autumn. No doubt we were fortunate in our 
purchase of this flock at an exceptionally low price; it was 
just one of those chances which occasionally occur at big 
auction sales, where results are always somewhat speculative. 
At the next big sale we were at sheep, decidedly inferior to 
ours, sold readily for 3s. to 4s. more apiece than we gave. 
At another farm, after the sheep have finished the Clover, 
they will go upon White Turnips sown early for the purpose, 
and which are now growing very fast. 
To sell such sheep profitably it must be done gradually, 
and only as they become fat enough for the butcher. We 
have several hundreds of them, and our sales will extend 
over the autumn far into winter, for with our splendid crops 
of roots and strong aftergrowth of grass, food will be so 
abundant that we can afford to wait, and draft the sheep for 
sale in small batches to best advantage. Unless heavy land 
is well drained the sheep must be withdrawn from it early in 
autumn; the most forward sheep should, therefore, be 
selected for such land, and the necessity for the withdrawal 
of the sheep in winter should act as an additional incentive 
to doing as much drainage as we can next winter. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Winter Oats have been mowed and left unbound to be turned over, 
so as to have the corn well ripened, as it is our intention to thresh it at 
once as it is carted from the field. With favourable weather this can be 
done before the regular harvest work is begun, and the straw can be cut 
into chaff at once and put into a compact heap in the chaff house. If a 
slight fermentation occurs in the heap the chaff has an aroma almost 
equal to the best meadow hay, and it is eaten readily by horses, sheep, 
and cattle. We have long ceased tying Oats into sheaves, for the straw 
absorbs moisture so easily that if the sheaves become wet the whole of 
them may have to be unbound. Spring Oats have much improved, even 
within the past week. This is of even more importance than it was, 
since so many farmers have sown many additional acres of Oats instead of 
Wheat. Under high cultivation we have now no crop more profitable 
than Oats, and we may add no crop has been more neglected than this. 
Five or six quarters an acre is often grown upon land that if well managed 
would yield twice as many Oats. Wheat was the only com for which 
manure was considered necessary. Oats or Barley would grow and yield 
a crop of some sort without any special dressing of manure, and this was 
thought conclusive without any inquiry as to the possibility of getting 
better crops by improved means of culture. Hoeing among late-sown 
Swedes and White Turnips, hedge-clipping, Thistle-spudding, tarring and 
painting of fences, gates, and outbuildings, and similar work is being 
done in the interval between hay and corn harvest. Horses have been 
employed in carting chalk and gravel for the bottom of yards, care being 
taker, to examine and set in order any faulty drains before they were 
covered afresh. Fences and gates are also being repaired around the 
yards, while cows and other stock are out upon the pastures. We would 
again call attention to the importance of keeping premises in repair by 
having trifling blemishes set right at once. We greatly deplore the 
appearance of careless neglect now visible in so many homesteads; yet 
many of them could be set in order by the judicious use of a few boards, 
bricks, and tiles, and a little whitewash or tar. Sorely does this matter 
press upon us, for we are now engaged in putting the whole of the farm 
buildings of a large estate in order, which have had literally nothing 
done to them for many years. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 61° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
C 
"5 
1886. 
August. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32^ 
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. 
dec:. 
deg 
deer. 
deg 
In 
Sunday . 
1 
29.8'9 
62.4 
56.1 
S.W. 
60.4 
72 4 
50.8 
120.6 
46.8 
0.100 
Monday. 
2 
29.633 
58.0 
57.1 
W. 
60.9 
64 9 
56.2 
114.4 
55.6 
0.024 
Tuesday. 
3 
30.082 
57.9 
50.3 
W. 
59.7 
68.7 
44.6 
116.6 
390 
_ 
Wednesday .. 
4 
30.127 
60.0 
54.7 
N. 
59.9 
69 2 
51.4 
109.7 
47.1 
_ 
Thursday .... 
5 
30.108 
62.3 
57.9 
E. 
59.6 
71.7 
47.4 
112.3 
41.6 
_ 
Friday. 
6 
29.912 
64.3 
61.1 
S.W. 
59 8 
783 
58.7 
115.6 
55.4 
_ 
Saturday .... 
7 
29.965 
67.2 
63.5 
S.W. 
61.2 
76.6 
60.0 
114.0 
58.5 
0.026 
29.9 5 
61.7 
57.3 
60.2 
71.7 
52.7 
116.2 
49.1 
0.156 
REMARKS. 
1st.—Fair, and sometimes bright till evening, rain from 6 r.M. 
2nd.—Wet morning, fine bright afternoon. 
3rd.—Fins bright day. 
4th.—Fine but not bright, occasionally cloudy and no strong sun. 
5tb.—Fine but with little sun. 
6th.—Cloudy morning, bright warm afternoon, rather close. 
7th.—Cloudy morning, fine and bright afternoon. 
Rather dull with average temperature, but rather less rain than usual.—G. J. SYMONS 
