594 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 80, 1888 
proportion of lean meat. But I find it unprofitable to graze 
pigs to a great weight, and as my Black Suifolks sell readily 
at full prices, at a weight of 90 lbs. to 100 lbs., I see no 
object in grazing them longer (except for exhibition). My 
litters consist of nine to eleven pigs, and sometimes of 
thirteen to fourteen. Some are lost occasionally from over- 
lying. 
“ The sows are fed on bran and middlings, and the pigs 
weaned at from six to eight weeks on soaked maize. The 
pigs with which I won the champion plate at Norwich last 
November were only ten months old, and the three animals 
8 cwt. 1 qr. 8 lb3. They were wonderfully ripe, and two of 
them I hope to send to Islington at the Smithfield Club 
Show. From the time of weaning they had scarcely any 
other food than maize and Thorley’s condiment, which I 
invariably use to maintain perfect health. It may be 
interesting to note that a second prize pen at Norwich, of 
similar age, weighed 8 cwt. 8 qrs. 12 lbs., but they were not 
so fat. They were the result of a cross between one of my 
Black boars and a sow of Mr. Spencer’s noted White breed, 
forming a most useful cross breed for ordinary farmyard 
purposes. After drawing out specimens for exhibition, the 
best pigs of both sexes are reserved tor sale, being kept in 
healthy store condition. I have sent away about fifty to 
different parts of the United Kingdom during the past few 
months, all of which gave satisfaction. I keep the pedigrees 
of my pigs and carefully mate them to avoid in-and-in breed¬ 
ing. No doubt animals do soon suffer constitutionally from 
inattention to this matter, and this is why so many ordinary 
farmyard pigs succumb to disease. My pigs have won 
several hundred pounds in prizes during the past nine years 
at the leading shows in England and on the Continent. The 
pigs destined for pork are matured as early as possible, and 
the offal amounts to one-fourth instead of one-third, as in 
the case of ordinary pigs. This I have repeatedly proved by 
experiment. My general price for dressed carcases is 6d. 
per lb.” 
We quote Mr. Smith’s interesting statement fully as a 
case in point, showing how careful selection and judicious 
management are really profitable, and that the exercise of 
common sense and sound judgment is highly important 
even in so simple a matter as pig management. 
Turning to recent writing upon the poultry yard we come 
upon the query, “ Can it be proved that any owner of 100 
hens or pullets gets ten eggs per day in drear nighted 
December ? If it can, of what breed are the birds, and how 
were they tended and fed?” The writer adds, “We have 
kept poultry for forty years, and kept them well, and under 
most favourable conditions, yet we never had ten eggs per 
day in December from 100 hens as a regular thing.” This is 
a matter to which we have given particular attention for 
many years, and the result of our experience is that 
Hamburghs, the so-called everlasting layers, are useless for a 
supply of eggs in winter. We had three poultry yards on 
our Sussex home farm, one of Gold and Silver-spangled 
Hamburghs, another of pure White Dorkings, and another of 
mixed birds of White and Coloured Dorkings and Sussex. It 
was from the last yard that we had a full supply of winter 
eggs, but we are bound to own that this was owing to careful 
management. The pullets were not only selected early, but 
were so well fed that they would often begin laying in 
October, and we always were well supplied with eggs 
throughout winter, but we must own that care was taken to 
have plenty of pullets. It sounds very well to say, So many 
hens so many eggs, but we always allow a margin for 
failures. 
To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
We have now in connection with the home farm some extensive 
estate improvements in hand. Notice of our want of some extra men for 
this work brought men out of employment in such large numbers that 
many of the poor fellows had to be turned away. Several acres of land 
has to be prepared for ornamental planting'; this work will be less expen¬ 
sive than usual, in the subsoil containing so much gravel as to afford a 
perfect natural drainage to the soil. The soil itself contains plenty of 
small Btones, it is a deep fertile loam admirably adapted for trees. This 
new work consist of an addition of some twelve or thirteen acres to a park 
containing some miles of ornamental tree belts, wherein the tree growth 
is highly satisfactory. A deep rich loam upon a gravelly subsoil is the 
most favourable condition as regards soil that the forester requires, for 
then, given healthy trees and careful planting, he can feel certain of 
success full and ample for all trees except certain rare exotics. The soil 
is trenched two spits deep and it is broken up with steel forks below the 
second spit, but this third spit is not brought to the surface. So deep is 
the soil, however, that we should have no hesitation in bringing the lower 
spit to the surface if it could answer any good purpose. For many years 
it was our lot to be engaged in planting extensively in soil so poor and 
thin that there was not a fair spit of it, and the subsoil was an almost 
barren substance, in some parts almost pure silica, out of which it was 
possible to manufacture glass. The cost of the preparation of stations in 
such a soil was invariably heavy, and the results were certainly not com¬ 
mensurate with the expenditure. Large stations insured tolerably free 
healthy growth for a few years, and then, unless there was a consider able 
addition of soil around the station, the trees soon fell into an unhealthy 
condition. It may be thought foolish to plant trees in such a soil, but a 
picturesque site for a house not unfrequently leads to building without due 
thought being given to soil or surroundings, and subsequently the plant¬ 
ing proves a very costly process. Well do we remember having to cart 
soil from a valley up a hill side for tree stations with three horses to an 
ordinary farm cart. 
Rent Audit at Nowton. —The rent audit of J. H. P. Oakes, Esq., 
of Nowton Court, was held on Wednesday, upon which occasion the 
tenants were entertained in a most bountiful manner at the Angel Hotel, 
Bury St. Edmunds, by Mr. Edward Luckhurst, the highly respected 
agent. In addition to the principal tenantry, there were also present the 
Rev. B. P. Oakes, Col. and Mr. W. Josslyn, and others. Throughout 
the evening the most genial harmony prevailed, evidencing the kindly 
feeling existing between landlord and tenant—a feeling we are sure it 
has been the endeavour of Mr. Luckhurst to cultivate during the time he 
has occupied the position of agent. Everyone present expressed their 
hearty appreciation of the efforts made by Mr. Luckhurst. It is a note¬ 
worthy event in such a crisis as the present that such a goodly feeling 
should exist between landlord and tenant as was expressed—an event 
brought about by a just and fair concession on the part of the landlord in 
the form of a reasonable reduction in the matter of rent, and due forbear¬ 
ance on the part of the tenants. The chair during the evening was 
occupied by Mr. Edward Luckhurst, the vice being filled by Dr. D. J. 
Munro of Bury. The usual loyal toasts having been duly honoured, it 
being especially noticed that both Her Majesty and the Prince of Wales 
were farmers. Col. Josslyn responded on behalf of “ The Army and 
Navy,” and the Rev. B. P. Oakes for “ Church and State.” Other toasts 
were duly honoured, especially the toast of the evening—“ Prosperity to 
Farmers and Agriculture,” proposed by Mr. Luckhurst, and responded to 
by one of the oldest tenants on the estate, Mr. Samuel Page of Chilton 
Hall, Stowmarket. Too much praise cannot be accorded to Hr. Luck¬ 
hurst for the good feeling he, as agent, has brought about and maintained 
between Mr. Oakes and his tenantry, each and everyone present expressing 
their hearty appreciation of his endeavours in that direction. The enjoy¬ 
ment of the evening was greatly enhanced by the music afforded by Miss 
Brown, Mr. George Carliell, Mr. F. Pattle, and Mr. Timson of Bury.— 
(Ipswich Journal.') 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Green Manuring ( C. M. D. 3 .).—The numbers containing the articles 
referred to are out of print. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Cahdbn squarb, London. 
Lat. 61° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
A.M. 
IN THB DAT. 
1886. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 328 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
a . 
H a 
Temp, of 
Soil at 
l foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
Rain 
December. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
So 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass 
Sunday . 
19 
Inches. 
29.820 
dear. 
24.2 
dear. 
23.9 
calm 
desr. 
38.2 
deg. 
32.4 
d«g. 
22.8 
dear. 
38.2 
deg- 
17.7 
In. 
Monday. 
20 
30.003 
26.2 
25.7 
N. 
37.2 
33.6 
19.7 
48-1 
12.2 
— 
Tuesday. 
21 
30.419 
26.6 
26.3 
calm 
36.6 
28. L 
25.4 
30.0 
20.9 
— 
Wednesday .. 
22 
29997 
36.2 
35.4 
8 . 
36.2 
434 
21.6 
44.8 
18.7 
0.195 
Thursday ... 
23 
29.704 
37.3 
34.8 
W. 
360 
41.6 
34.9 
63. L 
28.8 
— 
Friday. 
24 
29.616 
39.2 
38.0 
E, 
36.0 
44 0 
35.1 
49.7 
28.4 
0 267 
Saturday .... 
25 
29.935 
33.9 
32.7 
w. 
36.2 
39.7 
81.9 
52.4 
24.8 
29.928 
81.9 
81.0 
36.G 
37.5 
27.3 
46.6 
2L.4 
0.462 
REMARKS. 
19 th.—Fog in morning; fine and bright for an hour or two at mid-day; fog fn evening ; 
clear night. 
20 th.—Fine, bright, and cold. 
2l8t.— Dull and foggy all day; dense in late afternoon. , 
22nd.—Rapid thaw; fine, but with slight fog in m.rning; wet afternoon; fine clear nignt. 
23 rd.—Fine and bright; colder again. 
24 th.—Fair morning; wet afternoon; fair evening. 
25 th.—Fine, bright, and cold. . _ , „ „ 
A variable week; some days fine and cold ; others foggy or wet. Temperature 7 
lower than that of the preceding week, and about as much below the averager 
—G. J. SYMONS. 
