270 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ ilpril 7, 1392. 
BOOT CROPS. 
The sowing of spring crops has been retarded so much by 
frost and snow that our best efforts are now called for to prepare 
for those crops which follow the corn and “ seeds,” and which 
are usually sown on land somewhat foul, in order that the weeds 
may be destroyed by a regular course of summer tillage. In 
such cases the drills are of necessity made far enough apart for 
horse hoes to be used frequently while the plant is young, so 
that both horse and hand-hoeing goes on till the spreading 
foliage prevents it, and when the leaves meet across the inter¬ 
vening space there is no further trouble with weeds, for the 
season at any rate. After so wet a summer as we had last year 
foul land is plentiful, and wide sowing will probably be general 
for that reason this year. 
To those farmers having clean land at their disposal we 
strongly commend a closer method of sowing in view of obtain¬ 
ing a heavier crop. Nineteen inches apart for the rows, and the 
plants singled to 10 inches apart, was the distance allowed for 
Mangolds at a farm which gained a first prize in the farm prize 
competition of the Royal Agricultural Society in 1890. The 
crop was estimated to weigh upwards of 40 tons per acre, the 
excess in the number of roots at the distances given over those 
at 24 inches by 10 inches being 7560 per acre. It is well worth 
inquiry if the crop was not alike superior in bulk and quality to 
the ordinary one of big roots. To look at the roots exhibited 
by the leading seedsmen at cattle shows, size before all things 
would appear to be their aim ; but if size is obtained, as we 
think, at the expense of quality, then it is just so much waste. 
Certainly the lesson taught by the Cornish farmer is an important 
one, pointing as it does to results far above the average, obtained, 
be it understood, by good all-round practice. Clean land and 
heavy manuring there must have been, as well as close sowing. 
Upon the surface systematic rotation of cropping seems sound 
enough, but it is apt to induce the slovenly wasteful practice 
of allowing weeds to accumulate in the soil in view of their 
destruction once in four or five years. Far better is it to aim at 
thorough autumn tillage, so as always to keep the weeds under. 
This is just one of those apparent trifles about which there is so 
much general carelessness, weeds being allowed to spread till they 
rob the soil to a serious degree, and then a special effort is made to 
destroy them. Wide sowing there must be when land is foul, or 
the crop might be smothered by weeds. By placing the manure in 
the deep furrows made for it with the double-breasted plough, and 
keeping hand hoes going among the young Mangold plant, we 
enable the crop to derive full benefit from it. But last season 
where land was very foul this was practically impossible, rain fell 
so frequently that weeds at all strong were reset in the soil by it. 
The only plan then was to get the roots off the land early, and to 
plough in the weeds as manure. To do this efficiently the furrows 
must be well closed, then the weeds are “smothered,” and cannot 
make their way to the surface again. This of course refers to 
annual weeds ; perennials, like couch grass, must be cleared out of 
soil, for they never can be destroyed in it. 
Sow Mangolds as early as possible in April; use enough farm¬ 
yard manure under the seed to afford plenty of moisture for the 
young plant, which then becomes quickly established in the soil, 
and is well able to withstand the effects of drought. Apply also in 
the furrows a fair dressing of chemical manure, so that the soil 
about the roots is rich in fertility ; robust growth and a full crop 
then follow as a matter of course. After the plant is singled is 
the time to apply a surface dressing of nitrate of soda ; the hoes 
follow at once, destroying any young weeds, and working in the 
manure just below the surface, or rather into the surface of the 
soil, the moisture of which causes it to dissolve, quickly to be 
taken up by the fast spreading roots. 
For Potatoes a similar process of applying chemical manures in 
the rows answers well. Yery poor land requires a fair proportion 
of nitrate of soda, but where land is in fair condition a mixture 
of kainit and superphosphate answers best, because nitrate of soda 
is apt to induce a too vigorous growth of haulm at the expense of 
tubers. Now that Potato seed is prepared with due care, planting 
is not hurried on as it used to be ; but we can wait till the soil is 
sufficiently dry to crumble freely under plough and harrow, and 
then take out our seed trays. Every tuber having its one stout 
shoot already showing leaves and roots, growth follows planting 
immediately, and a full crop of fine tubers may be expected. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
March came in cold and went out cold too, with a bitter wind from 
the north-east, patches of snow still lying on the hills and on the cold 
side of hedgerows. Complaints about scarcity of feed grow louder 
and more frequent. Cattle are mere “ bags of bones” on many a farm, 
ewes and lambs are so weak that losses among late lambs are severe. No 
wonder, then, that prices for stock at Lady Day sales are so low. The 
majority of animals are bought on speculation by dealers; prices are 
very tempting to farmers, but few of them dare venture, as they are 
already buying hay for the home stock. 
Fortunate indeed is the man with an ample store of fodder and roots. 
High prices even tempt some to sell, and it is now common enough to 
see a few loads of hay sold by auction on market days. Mangolds, too, 
are higher in price than we have known them for some time, but few 
people have any to spare. Well will it be if we apply the lesson to our 
scheme of cropping this year, and so avoid a repetition of present diffi¬ 
culties. In calculations of ways and means it is not difficult to see what 
food will be required per head of stock throughout the year, and always 
to allow an ample margin for late seasons like the present. 
As stock will be kept in the yards late this spring all wet and decay¬ 
ing litter should be cleared out regularly and the yards fresh littered. 
It is a mistake to suppose that a sodden mass of straw or other litter 
gains anything by exposure in an open yard; it is far better in a heap, 
and is then out of the way of the cattle. Push on carting, and get all 
manure required for root crops on the land, throwing it into the furrows 
from the carts, and covering at once by ploughing. Get in the Man¬ 
golds early, and follow with the first crop of Swedes, sowing both crops 
on the ridge. Finish folding late Swedes, and have the land ploughed 
and sown at once with any crop most required ; but if the choice of 
crop is an open one, then sow either successional crops of Tares or an 
extra field or two of Oats, which always answer well after sheep folds if 
only good seed is used. Attend closely to the careful selection of all 
kinds of seeds ; see that they are clean, and have no mixture of weed 
seeds. Many a farm has had Charlock taken to it among seed corn 
purchased at a low price, but which has proved a most costly article, 
from the outlay upon hoeing in the effort to destroy the Charlock. Once 
get Charlock established in the soil, and it requires years of watchfulness 
to eradicate it. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
C.VMDEN Square, Loxdox. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
In tub Day. 
Rain, 
1892. 
March and April. 
Barometer 
I at 32°, and 
1 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 .. 
27 
29-739 
43-3 
42-0 
N. 
41-9 
47-4 
42-8 
58.3 
41-3 
0-090 
Monday .. 
28 
29-931 
32-4 
34-2 
N. 
41-2 
40-6 
31-8 
81-7 
31-7 
— 
Tuesday .. 
29 
30-428 
36-0 
33 2 
K. 
:-9-7 
42-3 
29-7 
91-2 
251 
— 
Wednesday 
30 
30-579 
;9-6 
35-3 
E. 
38-8 
52-1 
30-1 
96-7 
25-3 
— 
Thursday.. 
31 
30-589 
42 2 
34-6 
N.E. 
39-0 
57-9 
28-6* 
95-1 
22-1 
— 
Friday 
1 
30-489 
36-8 
35-2 
Fog. 
39-4 
68-1 
30-0 
98-4 
21-9 
— 
Saturday .. 
2 
30-414 
50-6 
40-0 
N.E. 
40-1 
66-5 
38-4 
108-2 
28-3 
— 
30-310 
40-5 
36-1 
40*0 
53-6 
33-0 
89-9 
28-0 
0-090 
REMARKS. 
27th.—Wet early; a little sunshine between 10 A.il. and 11 A.M., then dull and 
gloomy, especially in the afternoon. 
28th.—Snow from 0'30 A M. to 2 a.m, and at intervals till 8 A.M , then generally over¬ 
cast, but occasional gleams of sun ; and once or twice a few flakes of snow. 
29th.—Fine and generally sunny, but cold wind. 
30th.—Brilliant sunshine throughout; cold night. 
31st.—Bright smishine throughout. 
1st.—Thick smoke fog till 11 A.M. ; bright and warm later. 
2ud.—Bright sunshine all day. 
Much bright sunshine, but cold drying winds. Temperature nearly up to the 
average.—G. J. Symoxs. 
