174 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 3, 1892. 
it fully to account. In doing this we may remind them that in 
farming, like all other work upon the land, there must be pro¬ 
portion and thoroughness. In autumn every effort was made to 
get the land clean and to throw it up in ridges to the beneficent 
influence of frost, snow, wind, rain, and sunshine. It has since 
been frozen repeatedly ; we know, therefore, that under a brief 
spell of March winds and bright weather it will break down under 
the harrows into as deep and fine a tilth as heart could wish. 
Now let us impart the crown and finish to our work by the use 
of good seed and genuine manure ; both are indispensable, better 
not till the land at all than for either to be wanting when 
we sow it. 
That shrewd Norfolk farmer Mr. Clare Sewell Read says in 
the recent issue of Messrs. Sutton’s “ Farmers’ Year Book,” 
“ Let the value of the earth’s produce only return a fair reward 
to the husbandman and he will soon double the produce.” But we 
say. Let us meet low prices by doubling the produce now ; let us 
also see that such produce is equally high in quality, then shall we 
combat hard times in the right way. Let us, too, continue to 
reduce the area of land under the plough, bringing it well within 
the compass of our means. Let no stupid clinging to an obsolete 
routine of practice stand in the way, but let us adopt the best 
means to bring our crops to the highest possible degree of excellence. 
That the man who clings to the muck cart and uses tail seed corn 
cannot do this is certain. Compare the facility, economy, and 
certainty of manure application with the seed through the drill) 
with the cumbersome, costly, and doubtful process of carting^ 
spreading, and ploughing-in farmyard manure. Not only does the 
intelligent use of pure chemical manures lighten labour, but it gives 
entire liberty from the routine of a four-course or any other shift. 
By a judicious blending of nitrogenous and mineral manures into a 
complete and safe entire manure— i.e., containing the essential 
elements of plant food in due proportion—we can always insure 
soil fertility. 
Good seed is a comprehensive term, by which is implied a fine, 
bold, well-screened sample, quite free from weed seed, and from 
mixture with any ocher sorts. A vigorous plant cannot be had 
from inferior seed. The want of nutriment, starch, and sugar in the 
seed lobes induces a delicate seedling, a weakly plant, an inferior 
crop in both quantity and quality. No, if we would have a 
plant full of life and vigour the seed must be large, plump, 
and well ripened, the soil must be rich in fertility, and the 
sowing be timely. 
The high price obtained by seedsmen for pure seed corn has 
led to a considerable extension of the growth of pure samples, for 
which something more than market price is charged. This is to 
the advantage of an ordinary farmer, who, while avoiding the pay¬ 
ment of an exorbitant price, may obtain what he requires at 
reasonable rates from local markets. Though Wheat sowing was 
interrupted by the severe weather in February, it is quite probable 
that very much spring Wheat will be sown, for the fact of the 
annual imperial average price of Wheat having risen last year 
5s. Id. per quarter above that of 1890 will assuredly act as an 
incentive to spring sowing. There is no denying the fact that 
Wheat is king among corn, and that its culture under the best 
conditions is still profitable. The price rose to £2 Is. 8d. per 
quarter on September the 5th ; it had not touched £2 for nearly 
ten years. It was thought that the big crop in Manitoba would 
have told seriously upon our home markets, but the Central Pacific 
Railway appears quite unable to transport it to the seaboard, inland 
navigation is closed till May, so that producers there are cut off 
from their only market, Great Britain. In sowing spring Wheat 
we strongly advise using the full quantity of chemical manures 
enumerated a few weeks ago. 
That highly manured Barley means a heavy crop liable to be 
beaten down by the first thunder shower after full growth, is often 
true enough, and much caution and thought is required in deciding 
how much manure should be used. Often have we used the full 
quantity successfully, especially upon light land ; we have sown 
very much with equal success after sheep folds upon Swedes, a. 
somewhat common practice in East Anglia, and judging from 
experience there is far more risk of Barley being sown in poor 
land without manure than of its having too much. We have had 
nothing to equal the famous Kinver Chevalier in any way, and 
certainly regard it as indispensable where there is a probability of 
producing good malting Barley. In our opinion it has no mean 
rival among spring corn in Black Tartarian Oats. Certainly this 
is a safer crop, which if only good seed and good manure are 
sown together yields a sure profit. Messrs. Webb claim for their 
selection of this fine Oat a yield of 121 bushels per acre, or 
15 quarters 1 bushel. From such a crop there ought to be 
enough head corn to afford a return per acre superior to that 
of either Wheat or Barley. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Spring corn must now be sown as soon as the soil is sufficiently dry 
to work freely. No favourable opportunity of doing this should be lost. 
Spring weather is proverbially fickle, if we miss our chance of sowing 
in the first fine weather we may have to wait for weeks, just as happened 
last year. Corn that is sown late in spring is often only a light crop 
upon emergency for exceptionally late sowing Oats are altogether 
preferable. An extra field or two of Oats are always u-eful upon a 
farm. Never forget the sound principle that a farm should, so far as 
is possible, be self-supporting, should produce food for man and beast. 
He is the best manager who avoids having to pay heavy accounts for 
cake and corn. We may be told that cattle do not pay to fatten now. 
Our answer is that well-bred cattle do answer, and always have 
answered to fatten provided that is done in the right way. It is- 
notorious that at the present time the country is full of inferior cattle,, 
upon the feeding a,nd fatt ning of which farmers continue to waste their 
means. Such cattle do not come to early maturity, they grow slowly, 
fatten slowly, the capital invested in them is so long “dead” that when 
the beasts are sold there is no profit. Farmers do this, not in a few 
cases, but generally ; yet we are told what an intelligent body of 
men they are, that it is mere waste of money attempting to enlighten 
them ; it is if efforts to help them continue to be met as they 
now are. 
Keep cows and store cattle off the land, and do not turn them out tiH 
there is a full bite, which may not bj till May, or which may be in the 
present month, as it is occasionally. Have ewes and lambs under 
supervision ; in no case allow them to go to outlying pasture yet. 
and wet always do much harm among lambs, and they must have 
shelter if we would have them thrive well. In the Midlands lambing 
does not begin till the present month, yet many lambs are frequently 
lost from exposure. No lambing fold is made ; the lambs take their 
chance out on the open pasture. If the weather is mild all goes 
if not, many lambs die. They are skinned and given to the pigs to be 
eaten, the whole thing being taken quite as a matter of course, no efrort 
of any sort being made to prevent it. Custom rules. As the father 
did, so does the son. How can we enlighten him ? 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
.9 
Ph 
1892. 
February. 
Barometer 
at 32‘',and 
Sea Level. 
Hygrometer. 
Direc¬ 
tion of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of soil 
at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun. 
On 
Grass. 
Inchs. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Inchs- 
Sunday .. 21 
29.440 
42.2 
40.8 
S.E. 
36.0 
45.8 
31.2 
5 -.2 
3\6 
0.039 
Monday .. 22 
29.550 
41.6 
40.8 
N.E. 
36.9 
50.2 
37.8 
75.9 
35 0 
— 
Tuesday .. 23 
29.692 
38.8 
37.9 
N.E. 
o7.3 
48.7 
33.3 
66.4 
28.2 
0.13S 
Wednesday 24 
29.805 
41.3 
40.9 
N.E. 
38.0 
48.0 
38.0 
62.8 
30.9 
0.116 
Thursday.. 25 
29.929 
38.9 
38.9 
B. 
38.6 
51.7 
37.3 
68.1 
30.4 
— 
Friday .. 26 
30.076 
37.3 
37.3 
E. 
38.9 
40.8 
34.9 
47.1 
28.8 
— 
Saturday .. 27 
30.137 
35.0 
34.8 
N.E. 
38.9 
41.3 
34.8 
54.2 
35.8 
— 
29.804 
39.3 
38.8 
37.8 
46.6 
35.3 
60.7 
31.4 
0.288 
REMARKS. 
21st.—Overcast throughout; shower at 3 P.M., and a little rain at sight. 
22nd.—Fog early ; sun shining through haze at 10 A.M., and generally afterwards. 
23rd.—Sunshine almost throughout, but rather hazy. 
24th.—Wet from 6 AM. to 11 A.M., then foggy and drizzly till noon ; overcast 
afternoon. 
25th.—Foggy till about 11 A.M. ; sunshine from noon to sunset. 
26th. - Dull, misty, and damp throughout. 
27th.—Misty morning; overcast afternoon. 
A nearly average week, for the date, in all respects.—G. J. Stmons, 
