232 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 24, 1892. 
Drumheads is necessary if we would 'have full development. 
The seed of both early and late sorts should be sown thinly ; when 
the plants are large enough to be removed any that are crowded 
should be thinned, so as to have them stout and sturdy when trans¬ 
planted. The advantage of a seed bed is in being able to wait till 
such crops as Rye, Trifolium, and winter Tares have been folded 
and the land enriched, for all the Cabbage tribe requires rich soil. 
If these crops are mown for yard and stall feeding, then apply for 
the Cabbage 1J cwt. nitrate of soda, 2 cwt. muriate of potash, 2 cwt. 
superphosphate of lime, and 3 cwt. of salt per acre ; no nitrate of 
soda is required when the Cabbages follow Tares. Plant the early 
sorts 20 inches apart each way, and the late sorts 30 inches apart, 
using 1 lb. of seed per acre of the latter, and IJ lb. of the 
former. 
For a plentiful supply of wholesome nourishing green food, in 
the hottest and coldest months of the year there is nothing like 
Thousand-headed Kale. By successional sowings now, and onwards 
till early in August—the last sowing being for transplanting 
in spring—a supply of it can be had from midsummer till Lady 
Day. It is alike useful out on pastures parched by drought and 
heat in July, or as we have had it during the present month in 
folds for sheep while the land was covered by snow, and with a 
hard frost that has destroyed whole fields of winter Broccoli, but 
which did no harm to the Kale. It affords a crop of marvellous 
bulk per acre, is most wholesome, sheep very seldom having scour 
while folded upon it. Flockmasters and dairy farmers should 
always have a few acres of it for winter, as a supply of green 
food available at any time, of especial value during a hard winter 
or late spring, and therefore mainly to be held in reserve for 
precisely such cold weather as we have had this month. Only a 
small quantity is required for dairy cows of the home farm during 
winter, caution being required in the use of this or any other food 
at all likely to impart the slightest taint to the milk. The mere 
milk producer for sale need have no such scruples, his aim is 
quantity before all things, he can obtain it by the free use of 
Cabbage or Kale as pasture becomes bare in autumn. 
Well would it be if more heed were given to the fact of the 
severe and unnatural strain to which dairy cows are subjected. 
In a state of nature they simply give milk while suckling the 
calf, but we induce them to continue in milk till within a month 
or two of calving again, so that milk secretion and the nourish¬ 
ment of the foetus in xdero goes on at the same time. It is 
obvious, therefore, that our best care is essential in the pre¬ 
paration of a full supply of green food as well as of a plentiful 
mixed dietary of wholesome dry food. Every winter do we see 
cows compelled to clear up fog, which is just so much dead and 
decaying herbage practically devoid of sustenance ; they do it 
because they are so hungry, the only additional “ food ” being a 
little hay scattered about the pasture once a day. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Barley sowing generally is bound to be late, and malting samples of 
the highest quality are likely to be a rarity after next harvest. We 
see much of what is going on in our frequent long journeys, and see 
much that is wrong. There are loud complaints of ploughing arrears, as 
autumn tillage was not done last year owing to a late harvest. Certainly 
conditions were bad, but let individuals put it to themselves if they did 
their utmost to get through the ploughing last autumn. We much fear 
there will he many inferior crops this year owing to late ploughing, late 
sowing, and poverty of soil. Fortunate is the man now who has his 
supply of chemical manure at hand in readiness for use, and his land in 
wintered ridges. Then after a day or two of fine weather he has simply 
to break down the ridges to drill in seed, corn and manure together, to 
secure speedy germination and robust growth. Spring Beans and Peas, 
if not sown in February, will now be too late for a full crop. Westrongly 
advise the substitution of Oats for both leguminous crops now. Sow a 
fine sample of Black Tartarian Oats, short, thick, heavy seed ; use the 
full quantity of nitrogenous and mineral manure with it, and there 
■should be a profitable crop. Get this work and the sowing of seeds out 
of hand as quickly as possible ; see also to sowing successional crops of 
spring Tares, drill Clover seed and Sainfoin for layers, also Lucern for 
a more permanent crop, as well as the other green crops mentioned in 
our article this week. Look forward to and prepare for emergencies 
arising from extremes of weather. Make it a rule to have a surplus 
rather than a deficiency of food for live stock the year round. Store 
stock is now very cheap, food is scarce, and the approach of Lady Day 
with its liabilities is likely to cause many forced sales of store beasts at 
a loss. Well, the lesson will not be altogether unprofitable if it leads to 
a sensible restriction of the head of stock well within the farmer’s 
means. 
As we write it is pouring with rain after a severe night of frost and 
snow. March lambs exposed to such weather are fast dying, but then 
it is trying weather for a’l animals left out in the open, yet on many a 
farm we find no provision of shelter whatever for ewes and lambs. 
Chance and luck still enter largely into the farmer’s creed ; very dear 
does he pay for his blind faith. To home farmers we say. Continue to 
bring ewes and lambs into snug folds at night when the weather is 
unsettled. Let all weak, delicate animals have roofed cribs, keep 
all from exposure to cold cutting winds, and let the ewes have an 
extra ration of Oats daily. Let all forward lambs have as much lamb 
food as they can consume. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
wintering- Cows (TF. R. H.). —Your experience of cow yards and 
pasture is peculiar. A well-managed, well-drained yard with the sur¬ 
face sloping to the drains is always suffic’ently dry and firm for the 
cows to walk or stand upon in comfort. Pray note that we say well- 
managed advisedly, for we never allow decaying litter to accumulate in 
such quantities that moisture oozes out of it and forms pools around the 
cows’ hoofs at every s ep. In wet weather the cows are not out in the 
yard, but are either in a comfortable open lodge, at least 18 feet wide, 
where they lie or stand about contentedly on clean dry litter, or if at all 
delicate are kept in close lodges or cow houses. We could show you 
heavy land pasture which is almost under water in a wet autumn or 
winter. Although you may not have cows calving in spring, farmers 
invariably do, and we are bound to remember this. At midwinter their 
cows are generally in an advanced state of pregnancy, and we have no 
doubt that very many cases of abortion are caused by the two evils, 
exposure and underfeeding. Whether to turn out in winter or not is 
not a mere matter of opinion with us as you imply. We are constantly 
coming upon cows out in all weather in all parts of the country, and, as 
a safe general rule, deduced both from observation and practice, we say 
keep in the cows. We also repeat that turning out cows from the 
fanciful idea that they require exercise does unsettle them, and does 
lead to a good deal of bullying and fighting. We never yet saw a large 
herd of cows where this was not the case, and in mixed herds have had 
delicate Jerseys much injured. Have you never heard of the parson’s 
glebe land ? Surely you must know that there is no insuperable diffi¬ 
culty in the way of his having some land under the plough, even if he 
has to hire for tillage, and he can have his spring supply of green food 
just as well as anyone else. If you re-read our first reply you will see 
that one reason for not turning out in spring till there is a “ full bite ” 
is because the cows cannot get enough of the scanty herbage to satisfy 
them. In the yard there is the rack full of green food in readiness for 
them to go to after the milking. They soon have enough, the natural 
craving is satisfied for the moment, they are contented, and no animal 
shows its enjoyment of peace and plenty more thoroughly than a cow as 
it quietly ruminates in snug quarters on a sound dry floor. No doubt 
your cows arc well cared for, the interest you take in them is sufficient 
warranty for that. But this is not the case generally, and our aim and 
effort is to incite careless, easy-going dairymen to strive for that 
improvement which is so entirely possible, so much for their benefit and 
for that of the animals under their care. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Squabb, London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
In the Day. 
.g 
a. 
Pi 
1892, 
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. 
Min. 
In 
Sun. 
On 
Grass. 
Inchs. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Inchs. 
Sunday 
13 
29-379 
31-1 
29-6 
W. 
34.3 
42-4 
24-1 
74.8 
23-2 
— 
Monday .. 
14 
29-497 
32-5 
31-2 
N. 
34-1 
41-3 
23-8 
72-9 
20 3 
— 
T-uesday .. 
15 
29-661 
40-0 
37-2 
S.E. 
34-0 
44-8 
30-3 
65-4 
27-6 
0-198 
Wednesday 
16 
29-911 
41-0 
37-2 
N.W. 
34-0 
52-8 
35-9 
88-4 
34-7 
— 
Thursday.. 
17 
30-168 
50-0 
46-8 
S. 
36-9 
57-4 
41-4 
88-0 
38-0 
— 
Friday 
18 
30-362 
48.4 
46-4 
S.E. 
38-9 
59-8 
39-9 
95-2 
34-3 
— 
Saturday .. 
19 
30-269 
44-9 
42-1 
E. 
39-8 
54-7 
36-2 
94-7 
29-2 
— 
29-892 
41-1 
38-6 
36-0 
50-5 
33-2 
82-8 
29-6 
0-198 
REMARKS, 
13th.—Bright sunshine throughout. 
] 4th.—^Almost unbroken sunshine throughout. 
15th.—Sunny early; overcast and sho-vvery from 10 A.M. to 1.30 P.M., then very wet till 
5 p.M. ; overcast evening. 
16th.—Rainy till 5 A.M. ; mild sunny day. 
17th.—Cloudy early; mild and sunny after 10 A.M. 
18th.—Unbroken sunshine throughout. 
19th.—Continuous sunshine throughout. 
Very cold at the beginning of the week, warmer later, and generally sunay.— 
G. J. Symons. 
