4 22 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDESER. 
[ So em'rer 4, 1S86. 
of herbage, but it will be only moderately nutritious; in the 
other we are certain of a full crop of the most nutritious 
mixture of sweet and wholesome herbage, consisting of well 
blended proportions of such grasses and Clovers as have been 
specially selected for'our purpose. It would be well, there¬ 
fore, before coming to a final decision about folding old 
pasture, to examine it well, and see if it is really rich enough 
in good grass and Clover to repay us for the outlay. Our 
inspection must be close and thorough, for it is not an easy 
matter to ascertain all about the plants growing in a meadow. 
For example, we have had a growth of Clover that was 
positively rampant in a meadow that was said to contain 
little, if any, Clover among the grass ; yet a single dressing 
of wood ashes saturated with urine was followed by the 
appearance of plenty of Clover, almost as tall as the grass 
when it was mown for hay. We had no doubt that the 
Clover plants were there before the ashes were used, but the 
plants were mere starvelings, just able to exist but not to 
thrive, simply owing to poverty of soil. The nitrogen and 
potash of the saturated ashes acted upon the soil as though a 
golden key had been applied to unlock its treasures of fertility, 
or to be correct, we should rather say to store it with the 
elements of plant food which it lacked. 
A trifle, a simple affair indeed, was that dressing of 
wood ashes saturated with urine, so simple that it could b9 
dono by anybody, yet it had not been done, and the Clover 
had practically been of no use either for hay or grazing. 
This is just one of those little things of which neglect or use 
makes all the difference between failure and success. Wood 
ashes are certainly not hard to obtain, and they can readily 
be enriched by the household sewage, or by the liquid manure 
which we so often see wasted as it is suffered to escape from 
stables, cow sheds, yards, or manure heaps. 
If we find enough good herbage in old pasture to lead to 
the conclusion that it will answer for folding, let us resolve 
not to waste the sheep manure upon strong-growing perennial 
weeds, but to eradicate them by uprooting before each new 
fold is opened to the sheep. Upon many an old pasture can 
we find evidence of the slovenly easy-going practice which 
has so long prevailed in farm management. Thistles, 
Docks, Gorge, Rushes, and Rest-Harrow (Ononis arvensis), 
ought never to be allowed to become established in a meadow, 
for if they are the expense of getting rid of them is so heavy 
that it can only be done gradually. At the present time we 
have much grass land badly infested with Docks and Thistles 
and about fifty acres overrun by Ononis. We are clearing 
the pastures of these pests surely if slowly, by digging them 
up, for there is no other sure way of destroying them. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Never have we had better weather for the sowing of winter corn. There 
has been enough rain to make the ploughing light, and the soil has been 
ploughed in excellent condition for a fine seed bed. Light Barley harrows 
have answered on most of our farms to press down the freshly ploughed 
land suffi -iently for the harrows to follow at once, and the drilling was 
done quickly and well. With Mangolds all in clamps, the earthing 
finished, and the winter corn all sown, the ploughs have all been at liberty 
for stubble ploughing, and the whole of the land required for roots next 
season is fast being thrown up into ridges so as to expose it thoroughly to 
air, rain, and frost. A nine acre field which was under Winter Oats last 
summer was ploughed immediately after harvest, so many Oats were 
shattered that plants have sprung up almost thick enough for another 
crop. The field will he left untouched till spring, when the Oats may 
either be eaten off by sheep or ploughed in for Barley, if the crop is not 
then found good enough to leave for harvest. The mention of Barley 
reminds us of an instance of the value of a change of seed which recently 
came under our notice. On two adjoining farms Barley was sown exten¬ 
sively last spring, one farmer using home-grown seed from last year’s 
stock, the other obtaining the best seed he could from a distance. The 
produce of the home-grown seed was sold for 24s. per quarter, while that 
from the seed of another locality was sold in the same market for 32s. 
per quarter. What this means is, that one farmer has realised at least 
£2 an acre more for his Barley than the other. All that can possibly he 
done to improve the soil of fields intended for Barley next season should 
be, for this crop is the most profitable among corn now. Draining, ridge- 
ploughing, the best seed from a carefully chosen sample, a fine seed bed, 
and a full dressing of chemical manures will go far to ensure success in 
Barley culture. We have been at some pains in changing our seed Wheat 
from one farm to another, and we have procured the best White and Red 
Wheat we could for the home [farm, our aim being to render the home 
farm a nursery whence supplies of the home-grown seed of the best sorts 
of corn may be drawn for sowing upon the ofiE farms. 
SUCCESSFUL FARMING. 
In the course of an address on Some Conditions of Successful Farming,’ 
recently delivered to the Lancashire Farmers’ Club by a gentleman occu¬ 
pying a prominent position in the dairy districts—viz., Mr. Thomas Rigby, 
the Secretary of the Royal Manchester, Liverpool, and North Lancashire- 
Agricultural Society, the following remarks occur that are specially worth 
attention. The first conditions n cessary for success he very properly laid 
down as labour, care-taking industry, perseverance, and mutual confidence 
between landlord and tenant. Rent must he properly proportioned to the 
use that might be made of a holding ; but a fair rent, or even a low rent, 
was no guarantee of success. In fact, a low rent often acted as a snare to 
the unwary, as it appeared to be too easily makeable. He did not therefore 
plead for low rents, or for uniform rents, or uniform reductions, but simply for 
such rents as could be fairly paid by industry and reasonable effort. Situation 
and aspect of land, soil, and buddings were all factors for consideration. In 
fact, the question of rent was properly one of capability—not capability of the 
tenant, but of the farm. With some men rent was almost immaterial, for 
they could make no farm pay, simply from their own inherent incapacity. 
Successful farming was dependent, said Mr. Rigby, on knowledge—not. 
merely knowledge of what to do on a farm, hut of when to do it. 
Then, coming to the point of his address, he asked whether the most 
was being made of the Lancashire dairy farms ? In other words, was the 
cheese and butter as good as it could be made, or was it irregular in quality 
and therefore in price ? Was not much of their cheese sold at 5s. to 10s. 
per cwt. lesB than the current average market price, and even that with 
difficulty ? And must it not be admitted that lack of skill and knowledge 
was the cause'of all this—and, worse even than lack of knowledge, contempt 
of knowledge ? Very truly did Mr. Rigby observe that the conditions of 
successful cheese and butter making were too subtle to he discovered or 
defined without close and patient study, and then only when the student 
possessed the natural aptitude. The utility of dairy schools was pointed 
out by instances of pupils who, after a short course of proper instruction, 
had gone back to their farms and forthwith improved the quality of their 
cheese by 5s. to 15s. per cwt. Nor should the “ little things ” of the farm, 
be overlooked—poultry, bees, and other minor matters weie all factors m 
the sum. The breeding or economical purchase of good sound stock, a 
knowledge of markets, and an ever-ready judgment in buying and selling,, 
the conduct and observance of experiments, the keeping alive to the general 
state of agricultural affairs by reading and by conversing, and the mainten¬ 
ance of an honest character, were all put forward as essentia's to success,, 
of more consequence than lowness of rents. 
The Wheat Trade. —One of the most remarkable circumstances in con¬ 
nection with modern commerce has been the development of trade in Wheat. 
Fifteen years ago England imported 10,000,000 cwt. a year of Wheat from 
Russia, 12,000 000 cwt. from America, and 8000 cwt. fromlndia. She now im¬ 
ports 5,000,000 cwt. from Russia, 22,000,000 cwt. from America, and 11,000,000 
cwt. from India. India and America thus yield our chief supplies. But 
another market is rapidly developing. The Argentine Republic and 
Uruguay, which formerly did not grow sufficient Wheat for their own popu¬ 
lations, are beginning to export it. There was only half a million of acres 
of land under cultivation in the Republic thirty years ago ; now there are 
over five million acres. In thirty years, therefore, the area under crops has 
multiplied more than ten times, and the Wheat crop during the last three years 
has quadrupled. The two States referred to contain nine hundred million 
acres, and in proportion they have more cultivated land than any similar 
area in the world. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Warts on Heifer’s Teats (It. C .).—Wash the wart daily with a strong 
solution of nitrate of silver, taking special care that only the wart is touched 
by it, and it will soon disappear. For small warts use the same specific in 
the solid form, termed lunar caustic, rubbing the wart once or twice daily 
with it. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8'0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAT. 
a 
< 
01 
1886. 
October. 
Barome- 
i terat32« 
and 8ea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
| Temp, of 
Soil at 
I 1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiatiou 
Temperature 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
Oq 
graft* 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
df.g 
defy 
deg 
In. 
Sunday . 
30.204 
.52.4 
49.3 
E. 
50.3 
55 3 
4.5.7 
78.9 
390 
— 
Monday. 
2.5 
30.242 
48.8 
47.4 
K. 
50.3 
/2 0 
48.7 
60.9 
45.0 
0. 57 
Tuesday. 
26 
30.138 
48.4 
45.7 
N.E. 
50 3 
49.6 
47.L 
54.6 
42 2 
Wednesday . 
27 
29.89.5 
47.4 
4.5.6 
E. 
49.8 
51.5 
45.5 
69 3 
44.0 
O.OSS- 
Thursday ... 
28 
30.072 
.51.2 
50.0 
N.E. 
49 8 
58 0 
46 2 
75.3 
42.6 
0.018- 
Friday. 
29 
80.2.50 
.54.8 
53.8 
S. 
50.3 
63 2 
45.2 
95-6 
36 3 
— 
Saturday ... 
30 
30.387 
52.7 
52.3 
E. 
50.9 
69.0 
48 4 
64 7 
38.7 
““ 
30.170 
50.8 
49.2 
50.2 
55.5 
46.7 
69 9 
41.3 
0-163; 
REMARKS. 
24th.—Bright early, fine day but without much sunshine. 
25th.—Dull early, showers from 9 to 10 a m., dull day. 
26th.—Cloudy all day. 
27th.—Overcast, witn showers in morning, wet afternoon. 
28th.—Fine bright morning, pleasant afternoon, shower lite in evening. 
29th.—Fine, bright, aDd warm. 
80th.—Fog till 10.80 a.m., afterwards fair, slight shower in afternoon. 
A variable week, Eome bright pleasant weather but a good deal of cloud and damp-. 
Temperature 8° above the average, and about 1° above that of the prece ing wtek.— 
G. J. bYMONS. 
