532 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARBLE Eh. 
[ December 9, 1886 
land undrained, foul with weeds, and poverty stricken, and 
if under his lease or agreement the tenant was bound to keep 
up repairs in buildings, gates, and fences, they too will 
probably be found much dilapidated. It may be asked, 
How could the landlord or his agent suffer the tenant to be 
so negligent ? Truth to tell, under the depression a tenant 
has had no money to spare for such purposes, and any 
attempt at compulsion would end in the farm being left upon 
the landlord’s hands. Everything in reason that can be 
done is done for tenants now ; rents have been reduced from 
25 to 50 per cent., a helping hand is extended to every de¬ 
serving tenant in a variety of ways, all repairs are taken in 
hand by the landlord, and new covenants have none of the 
old vexatious clauses or restrictions to a particular system of 
cultivation. But landlords have done much more than this ; 
they have striven to show by example and precept how in 
some measure to meet our difficulties by better cultivation of 
the soil, by the acquisition of a thorough knowledge of the 
science as well as the practice of agriculture. Some have 
done what they could to improve the breed of cattle, sheep, 
and horses; others have done much for the promotion of 
improvements in culture—notably, Major Sergison, the Duke 
of Norfolk, Sir Spencer Wilson, the Marquis of Huntly, the 
Duke of Bichmond, Sir Thomas Ackland, and many others. 
Both Major Sergison in the south-east of England, and Sir 
Thomas Ackland in the west have had elaborate trials of 
manures made upon their own estates. The last-named 
gentleman has recently published a 6d. pamphlet on 
“ Practice and Science in Agriculture,” in which he offers 
much useful information to farmers, and he enumerates 
certain cheap books which ought to be in the hands of every 
farmer at all desirous of self-improvement. Of these we may 
mention, “ Chemistry of the Farm,” by R. Warington; 
“Life on the Farm—Plant Life,” by Maxwell T. Masters ; 
“Life on the Farm—Animal Life,” by Professor Brown, all 
published at 2s. 6d. each, by Bradbury, Agnew, & Co. 
“ Science Primer—Chemistry,” by Professor Sir H. Roscoe, 
Is., published by Macmillan ; “Lectures at King’s College,” 
by F. J. Lloyd on “ Agriculture,” 12s., published by Long¬ 
mans; “Agricultural Chemistry and Geology,” 6s. 6d., by 
Professor Johnston, published by Blackwood; and “First 
Year of Scientific Knowledge,” by M. Paul Bert, 2s. 6d , 
published by Relfe Brothers, Charterhouse. 
We enumerate these works with the prices and names of 
publishers, because we have'often known earnest inquirers at 
a loss for such information, and we certainly desire to assist 
them. To them and to farmers generally we say, If you 
would have the respect, the assistance, and sympathy of all 
other sections in a community of which you form such an 
important part, do not rest content with a statement of your 
grievance, or an appeal for help, but show by your efforts at 
improvement—your general sound practice—that you * trust 
and try.’ It is certain that we have not yet attained to 
perfection in our practice, and we should certainty do well to 
try and see if anything we do cannot be done in a better 
way. Better in the sense of economy, certainty, and profit, 
for after all that is the safe test to apply to all our work. 
Do results show that our efforts at improvement lead to 
greater abundance, better quality in our farm produce ? If so, 
we are certainly gaining knowledge that will ^eventually lead 
to sound practice in the fullest sense of the term. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
The spread of swine fever far and wide through the land is but another 
instance of the tendency to slovenly practices among farmers of the easy¬ 
going habit of following in the footsteps of our forefathers. Because the 
pig is an unclean animal, it by no means follows that it should be kept 
amidst filth as is so generally done. There can be no doubt that with 
clean styes and wholesome food we can avoid infections disease if we are 
only careful enough in our purchases. It has long been a standing rule 
with us to keep newly purchased animals of kinds apart from others for a 
month or two, and thus avoid all risk of contagion. Extra care is taken 
now if cattle are bought, for we have repeatedly known cases of foot-and- 
mouth disease among cattle bought in December. The risk may be less 
now than formerly, as cattle are driven less and less by road, and are not 
so liable to become foot-sore and low in condition. See that all possible 
care is taken of horses during winter. It is customary in the eastern 
counties for farm horses to lie out under open sheds in the horse yard at 
night. We do not approve of such a custom, and certainly consider that 
old or delicate horses should have the shelter of a stable at night. Even 
when young horses in robust health are left out regularly, the matter must 
not be left to the discretion of an ignorant horsekeeper. When horses 
hane been a long journey with a heavy load, they return hot and tired, 
and to turn them out into an open yard involves much risk of serious 
illness, which is easily avoided by the exercise of due care. The recent 
loss of two horses at two of our off farms has led to the issue of stringent 
orders and rules to our bailiffs whom we are obliged to trust in such 
matters upon distant farms. Some of the labourers upon the home farm 
are now engaged in the grubbing and clearance of superfluous trees and 
hedgerows, which serve no useful purpose, but rather spoil crops and 
waste space. In this work a row of common land drain pipes is laid 
along the ditches before they are filled in, but all the work is done by 
measure and quantity. Piece work is best both for master and man, and 
we have all work that we can so done. See that there is no accumulation 
of water upon low-lying parts of winter corn fields. Open furrows suffi¬ 
cient wide and deep should be made at once after the corn is sown, and 
the ends finished by a man with a spade to ensure an unchecked flow of 
water to the nearest ditch. 
The Smithfield Cattle Show. —We have been requested to 
inspect the products of several exhibits at this Show, and incorporate 
any remarks to which they might be entitled with our report of the 
Exhibition. In reply, we have to inform our friends that the directors of 
the Show have again omitted to accord us any facilities for the purpose 
in question, no reporters’ tickets having been received at this office. A 
correspondent, however, favours us with the following brief note on some 
exhibits which he thinks chiefly interesting to our readers. “The seeds¬ 
men are well represented, all the leading firms having large and imposing 
stands in the gallery. Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading, have a great 
number of handsome roots, comprising fine samples of the Champion 
Swede, Berks Prize Mangold, Golden Tankard Mangold, and the Mam¬ 
moth Mangold, one specimen of the last named weighing 73 lbs. Grasses, 
miscellaneous seeds, &c., are all well shown. Messrs. J. Carter & Co., 
High Holborn, contribute an abundant display of Mangolds, Swedes, 
<fec., all of high quality, but the great feature of their stand is the collec¬ 
tion of Tobaccos in various stages, from the raw leaf to the prepared 
product. This attracted much attention. Messrs. Webb & Sons provide 
an admirable display of their well known selections of Mangolds, Swedes, 
Wheats, and various other farm crops, very tastefully arranged. Samples 
of Tobaccos, which have also been successfully grown by this firm, 
together with the usual garden, vegetable, and flower seeds. Messrs. 
Harrison & Sons, Leicester, have a stand representing a number of their 
specialities, both in farm and garden crops. In the gallery and on the 
ground floor is a capital display of farm implements and machinery, 
comprising many excellent inventions and improvements. Very notable 
is a capital corn, seed, and manure drill, named the “ Excelsior,” which 
is shown by the Chadborn and Coldwell Manufacturing Company, 223, 
Upper Thames Street, and which was illustrated in your pages some time 
since. It is an admirable machine and obtained the approval of many 
practical men who inspected it. Another portion of the hall is devoted 
to the exhibitors of patent or special manures, and amongst them the 
stand from Messrs. Wood & Sons, Wood Green, London, was particularly 
interesting, containing a variety of manures and composts prepared for 
special plants.” 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camdbn Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
d 
"3 
1886. 
Nov.—Dec. 
—i 
d co a) oj 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
d . 
O -d 
•§■5 
So 
°. 08 J 
M 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass 
Sunday .28 
Monday.20 
Tuesday . S') 
Wednesday .. 1 
Thursday .... 2 
Friday. 3 
Saturday .... 4 
Inches. 
30.404 
29.610 
29.665 
29.907 
29.896 
30.092 
29.778 
deg. 
43.3 
48.1 
36.4 
33.2 
29.4 
23.6 
38.1 
dear. 
42.5 
47.9 
35.4 
31.9 
28.0 
23.2 
37.3 
N. 
s.w. 
w. 
w. 
N.W 
N.W 
S.E. 
deg. 
44.0 
44.0 
43.6 
41.8 
40.4 
30 2 
38.2 
deg. 
47.0 
50.4 
45.2 
42.7 
34.9 
33.7 
42.2 
deg 
41.4 
43.0 
35.3 
30.5 
282 
21.7 
22.3 
deg. 
50.0 
65.2 
65.3 
64.2 
61.3 
488 
44.1 
deg 
38.7 
41.3 
28.2 
23.2 
21.5 
15.4 
18.2 
In. 
0.041 
0.014 
0.092 
0.278. 
29.907 
36.0 
35.2 
41.6 
42.4 
31.8 
57.0 
26.6 
0.425 
REMARKS. 
28th.—Cool and fresh, but not bright. 
29th.—Wet early, but gradually cleared, and fine bright day and night. 
80th.—Bright and fine. 
1st.—Cold and fine, with much sun, shower at 5.30 P.M. 
2nd.—Cold and generally bright, slight snow at 1 P.M. 
3rd.—Very cold and generally fine, a little fog at times. 
4th.—Sleet began about 6.15 A.M., turning to rain, which continued till about noon, fine 
after, brilliant night. 
Rather a cold week, owing to the sharp frost on the 3rd. This frost remarkably 
resembled that of December llth, 1885, for which the figures will be iound to have been 
taking the columns as in the above table :— 
1885—Dec. llth 
30 507 
24.2 
23.6 
N.W. 
37.5 
33.8 
22.3 
51.7 
15.4 
1886—Dec. 3rd 
30.092 
23.6 
23.2 
N.W. 
39 2 
33.7 
21.7 
48.8 
15.4 0.092 
Difference .... 
— .415 
— .6 
— .4 
pins 1.7 
— .1 
— .6 
— 29 
plus .092 
With the exception of the barometer the agreement is marvellous, and the remarks on 
the weather agree equally. The note on December llth, 1815, is “Very cold but bright, 
slight fog at night.” The note for December 3rd, 1886, will be found above in its proper 
place.—G. J. SYMONS. 
