192 
JOURNAL OF Horticulture and cottage gardener. 
[ March I", 1892. 
over, carting on to the land and spreading, then subtract the value 
of the average amount Of available fertility— i.e., 28 per cent, in a 
ton of manure—and the result will certainly show that the game is 
not worth the candle. 
We are told that the country is full of inferior cattle ; we 
believe the statement to be perfectly correct. Anything like 
remonstrance is met by the assertion that farmers know their 
own business best, and one cannot farm without stock. But 
then, we ask. Why not keep stock that is likely to be profitable, 
and not half-bred starvelings ? The answer is, Because the 
custom has grown of purchasing inferior Irish stores at market 
simply for the manufacture of muck. If, after wintering in 
yards, they can be sold without a loss, the manure is regarded 
as sufficient profit, but when they are sold for less money than 
was given for them, as so frequently happened last year, then 
comes an outcry about low prices. If heavy land farmers, 
instead of wasting their means year after year in this manner, 
would only as persistently burn clay for ploughing into the 
soil, then use chemical manures, they would impart permanent 
mechanical division, and the requisite degree of fertility to 
insure friable land and full crops. Nothing can be plainer, trore 
certain, more economical. Help might be had by tenant farmers 
from their landlords in clay burning, just as is already given in 
liming and draining, if only tenant and landlord could be made 
to understand how by such means soil may be improved. 
Leading agricultural societies have given recognition to the 
importance of reform in imparting fertility to the soil ; they 
might also do good work by examples of soil improvement, both 
at big shows and experimental stations. There might be a mass 
of clay in its crude state, with similar quantities treated with 
lime, ballast, sand, and coal ashes, showing how by such means 
the clay is made friable, so that water may be drained from it 
readily by filtration, air enter it easily, manure be applied to it with 
certainty, and its cultivation rendered as economical as the best 
mixed soil. Such a lesson would indeed be valuable ; it would 
be essentially practical, with very little of science, showing 
farmers how to lighten labour, and how to render their efforts 
more certain of leading to success. 
Curious is it that while English farmers avoid heavy land as 
costly in cultivation and uncertain in cropping, Scotch farmers 
are positively eager to acquire such land, giving preference to it, 
and showing by their successful treatment of it that such pre¬ 
ference is not of fancy but of deliberate intent. It must be 
granted that they manure heavily with natural as well as with 
chemical manures, the former made by dairy cows whose milk is 
sold so profitably, and the chemical manures are applied intelli¬ 
gently, a watchful eye being kept upon their action, quantities 
being varied, and results noted in view of any possible alteration 
and subsequent improvement. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
March came in with sharp frost and frequent snow storms, much to 
the disgust of Midland graziers, with whom lambing was just beginning. 
As usual no provision was made for the lambs, the only shelter they 
had being the hedges. There will be losses again, perhaps as heavy as 
those of last year, most probably so if hard weather continues. The 
only possibility of improvement is in landlords showing on home 
farms how possible it is to prevent losses from exposure. With some 
such example lambing folds may eventually be adopted even in the 
Midlands. 
Complaints of the prevalence of hoose among yearlings are common 
enough, which was to be expected after their exposure to the cold wet 
weather of last summer and autumn. Apply the lesson now by keeping 
in the calves of this season so that they are never exposed to cold and 
wet, and feeding them so well from the first that they never can become 
low in condition. We always in such things act upon the principle of 
prevention being better than cure. Keep up condition within due 
bounds ; thorough shelter, clean water, snug dry buildings, clean dry 
bedding, kindly treatment, perfect ventilation, these are the conditions 
which tend to promote health, robust growth, early maturity. A 
common fault is to suffer young stock to become so weak and low that 
they become unhealthy, and then to have recourse to better food and 
shelter often when it is too late. 
As we feared, losses from black leg are now becoming general where 
stock have been exposed and half fed. So much inferior hay was made 
last season that stock which gets little or nothing else, and not a full 
quantity of it, is bound to suffer. On many a small farm in Leicester¬ 
shire two or three young beasts have been lost recently, the pity of it 
being that such losses are regarded as “ bad luck,” no effort being made 
to avoid a recurrence in the future, or any inquiry if improvement in 
management is possible. Surely opponents of technical education will 
admit that if such persons could be shown how possible it is to prevent 
losses which now tell so heavily upon them by changes in management 
entirely within their means, it is worth while. We hold that much im¬ 
provement in practice generally is both desirable and possible, not the 
least of which is the shelter and general management of live stock. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
wintering Cows (TF. R. i?.).— The advice so frequently given to 
keep cows in yards and cowhouses in winter, and not to turn them out at 
all on pasture till there is a full bite— i.e., abundance of herbage, is for 
the benefit of the cows as well as of the pasture. Get the cows settled 
in their winter quarters sufiiciently early in autumn to avoid exposure 
to cold showers and frosty night?, and then keep them there till spring. 
They soon settle down, require no more exercise than can be had in a 
commodious yard, and are quiet and contented. If, on the contrary, they 
are turned out on pasture for “ exercise ” on fine days they become un¬ 
settled and discontented in the yard, crowding about the gate fighting 
and lowing till they are let out to poach up the pasture or stand about 
in the cold. We have known so much harm result from this that w© 
make it a stringent rule never to turn them out in winter. Only last 
week a worthy farmer of the parish in which this note is written lost 
his best cow from exposure. Now, as to winter diet. Surely there is 
nothing unnatural about the best meadow hay, crushed Oats, bran. 
Carrots, Mangolds, and cattle Cabbage 1 It is absurd to suppose a cow 
can derive benefit from nibbling bare pasture in winter, apart from the 
risk of exposure. Remember, too, that all cows in most herds are 
then pregnant, and especially require the quiet, warmth, shelter, 
good food, clean litter, pure water, and pure air which we re¬ 
commend. We have never advised sudden changes of food. 
In autumn the cows are first of all kept in the yards at night, going 
out to grass by day, so as to accustom them to winter quarters and 
winter diet till when the weather breaks they are kept in altogether. 
In spring they have Rye mown and taken to them in the yards, followed 
by Rye Grass or any other green forage as it becomes ready, and so are 
gradually prepared for the pastures. When these are ready the cows 
are milked and turned out by 7 A.M. The “ full bite ” enables them 
to consume enough food in abc ut two hours, and then to lie down and 
contentedly ruminate. Very different this to wandering all over the 
pasture without being satisfied. These are our reasons for the advice 
we have given : can any of the owners of those very good Jerseys you 
mention give any reason other than mere custom for their practice? We 
may usefully add that a neighbour of ours used to turn out his cows 
regularly in winter for exercise ; we saw them frequently standing 
about on the sodden pasture, evidently cold and miserable. This was 
in the winter of 1890, not a particularly severe winter; but the expo¬ 
sure caused abortion to run riot through the herd, and since then the cows 
have been kept in during winter. This is an instance of dearly bought 
experience, and you may rely upon it our advice is not lightly given. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camdex Square, Londox. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
IX THE Day. 
Bain. 
1892. 
February 
and 
March. 
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. 
Mm. 
In 
Sun. 
On 
Grass. 
Inchs. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Inchs. 
Sunday .. 
28 
29.922 
37.0 
34.9 
N.E. 
38.6 
42.3 
32.2 
61.9 
28.J 
0.013 
Monday .. 
29 
29.338 
38.1 
36.8 
N.E. 
33.4 
42.6 
35.9 
71.9 
32 9 
0.062 
Tuesday .. 
1 
29.912 
37.2 
36.2 
N.E. 
38.2 
40.0 
34.1 
49.9 
30.0 
0.096 
W edne^ay 
2 
30.082 
30.2 
29.1 
E 
37.9 
31.4 
29.7 
38.9 
29.4 
— 
Thursday.. 
3 
30.265 
28.8 
2S.4 
N.E. 
36.8 
33.9 
27.1 
74.2 
27.2 
— 
Friday 
4 
30.339 
31.1 
29.7 
N.E. 
36.0 
34.0 
28.1 
52.8 
28.2 
— 
Saturday .. 
5 
30.334 
31.7 
31.2 
N. 
35.7 
4'J.O 
26.9 
71.2 
24.9 
— 
30.099 
33.4 
32.0 
37.4 
37.7 
3;.6 
60.0 
23.7 
0.171 
KEMARKS. 
28th.—Bright sunshine till 11 A.M., overcast afternoon and evening. 
29th.—Bain early, overcast till 10 A.M., then alternate cloud and sunshine, and heavy 
sleet showers at 0.5 and 2.45 P.M. 
1st.—Overcast morning, spots of rain at midday, a little sunshine after 3.30 P.M., sleet 
and snow in evening. 
2nd.—Ground white with snow, overcast all day, and snow crystals falling almost 
cottinuously. 
3rd.—Flakes of snow falling at frequent intervals nearly aU day ; bright sun for a few 
minutes about midday. 
4th.—Generally overcast, but occasional gleams of sun. 
5 th.—Bright and sunny throughout. 
Cold, especially the latter part, which has been excessively keen. Great difference 
(40 3°) between shade and sun maximum on 3rd.—G. J. SVMOXS. 
