336 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 28, 1891. 
THE GRASSY MIDLANDS. 
“ Out of cultivation ” was the term so frequently used in refer¬ 
ence to land laid down or let down to grass under the agricultural 
depression. Exception was taken to the term as implying utter 
negligence of pasture, and that is really what it did point to, as 
anyone travelling through the Midlands in this present month of 
April can see. Certainly we do so as we sit down to write this 
article at a farmhouse in the very heart of the Midlands on the 
morning of April 17th. From the window the land trends gently 
downwards to the bottom of a valley, whence it as gently ascends 
in grassy undulations to the sky line. Pasture and nothing but 
pasture is in sight ; but the prospect, though lit up by bright sun ■ 
shine, is not attractive, for the uniform grey hue of the pasture has 
a sad depressing effect. It tells only too plainly of the negligence 
of the farmer and of the poverty of the land. 
Not so, says the farmer himself. He will tell you of a severe 
drought last autumn, of a long hard winter ; and if you speak to 
him of what is possible under the systematic cultivation of his 
pasture, your statements are received either with an air of 
incredulity, or with that “ smile superior ” which shows that he 
does not believe you. Well, whether he does or not, we are bound 
to regard very much of the practice of the Midland graziers as 
farming gone wrong, and to explain why we do so. 
When the permanent character of the reduction in the price of 
•corn was evident, it was only prudent to lay dov/n much of the 
land to pasture. Equally prudent would it have been to have 
adopted a regular system of culture, both to insure the speedy 
formation of really good pasture and its subsequent maintenance 
in the highest possible condition of productiveness. The best 
evidence that this was not done is found in its present condition. 
If the soil was as rich in fertility as it ought to be, no severity of 
weather would impart that brown or grey colour. It is a want of 
fertility, which may be read like an open page of a book, wherever 
we turn, and this sterility is just owing to the suicidal practice of 
'dose grazing without anything like an equivalent application of 
manure. Most of what manure the land does have is from the 
■cattle droppings, which are spread about and worked in by bush or 
chain harrows at this season of the year. Such a dressing is most 
inadequate to impart or sustain fertility, and the pasture never 
yields anything like a full crop. It is probably owing to the 
heavier bulk of crop of a wet season that the crop generally has 
come to be regarded as a thing of seasons, but such an idea is 
•altogether erroneous. It is more—it is mischievous ; for its 
tendency is decidedly to render the grazier a sort of easy-going 
Tvaiter upon Providence. 
The pity of it all is that the farmer might do so much better 
for himself if only he would acquire correct knowledge of the land 
and its requirements, and apply such knowledge in his practice. 
He has very little expense for labour, none for tillage, and the 
outlay which we advise to enrich the land need not much exceed 
£1 an acre ; but how to induce him to venture upon it is the 
<lifficulty. Once again we ask landlords to see their interest in 
making the home farm a school of farming to which their tenants 
may find it worth while coming occasionally to get a “ wrinkle ” or 
two. Let them see how possible it is to have a full and early bite 
of grass, either by the judicious use of chemical manures, or by 
sheep folding, or by a combination of both. Tangible proof is 
what they require : let them have it. It is quite useless to 
endeavour to advise the ordinary farmer on paper. He is not 
much given to reading, but he can understand and take an interest 
in a growing crop or fine animal. Show him that when land is 
really as rich in nitrogenous and mineral manure as it ought to 
be, the pasture, even if it is grazed closely, remains green and 
not brown all winter, and is always so full of growth that it is 
much earlier in a late spring than the ordinary poverty stricken 
pasture with which farmers generally seem content. Show him, 
too, that a full crop of hay is always possible, because rich fertile 
pasture under its annual dressing of manure is always so forward 
in growth as to be comparatively unaffected by drought. If he 
can be induced to treat only a single meadow, that will be 
sufficient, as it is quite certain to lead to regular systematic 
pasture cultivation. 
Fluctuations in the price of cattle tell so frequently against the 
grazier that he has indeed ample reason to bestir himself and see 
what he can do in the way of obtaining better results. Home-bred 
well-bred stock, rich fertile pasture, ensilage, and perfect means of 
shelter are among the means open to him for so desirable an end. 
Then, too, richer pasture points to the certain possibility of an 
enlarged head of stock, and if only due care is taken to have it of 
the best, so as to ensure early maturity, it cannot fail of proving 
really profitable. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
White Wheat up to 453. per qaiarter will act as an incentive to Wheat 
growers, and prove an inducement to spend more money upon corn 
hoeing than they would otherwise have done. Unfortunately the 
advance in price comes too late to be of much benefit to farmers, most 
of us having sold out long ago. But such an advance is nevertheless 
cheering, as affording proof of the possibility of Wheat growing becoming 
profitable once more. So clean is the land that we should not hoe the 
Wheat at all were it not for the Charlock, which we never can pass by. 
A single season’s negligence of this weed, though it is only an annual, is 
sufficient to give work for a dozen years. It is, indeed, the worst pest 
we have, most difficult to eradicate, yet if left it robs the legitimate 
crop of much soil nutriment, and spreads its seed far and wide. 
Grass land laid in for hay that is at all infested by Thistles should 
now be looked over and the Thistles destroyed. If this is not done 
they will prove a nuisance in the hay. Docks have been got out of 
a new piece of permanent pasture where the seed must have been in 
the soil when it was laid down. There is nothing else to be done but 
to uproot and burn Docks. The process is slow and costly, but it is 
certain and thorough. 
Turnips appear to be about used up for folding. We have seen some 
sheep recently on an excellent growth of Kale, and Rye and Clover are 
now forward enough to be useful. Late lambs have much improved, 
but the weather continues changeable, and is very trying for weak 
animals. Shelter must still be afforded them, and it is a good plan 
always to provide enough of it in all folds or on open pasture that is 
liable to be windswept. We have only to place it there, and even ttie 
younger lambs will soon find it and take advantage of it. Castration 
and docking have been done in favourable weather, as each batch of 
lambs become about a month old. In folding especial care must be 
taken to make all hurdles secure, and- all gates opening out of pasture 
should be locked. The very sight of green food outside of the flock 
enclosure is a temptation which they will try to gratify, and they often 
do so to the annoyance of neighbours if one is not always on the alert 
and the fences are not quite sound. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 teet. 
DATE. 
9 AM. 
IN THE DAT. 
2 -. eS 
Hygrome- 
c3 , 
Shade Tern- 
Radiation 
a 
ter. 
Sd 
0.2 o 
-4 .O 
peratore. 
Temperature. 
a9 
M 
April, 
° S 
In 
On 
PQSos 
Dry. 
Wet. 
So 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass 
Inches. 
detr. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday. 
12 
30.143 
A9. 9. 
39.1 
N.N-.E, 
41.7 
49.1 
34.0 
94.4 
29.0 
0.143 
Monday. 
13 
30.083 
41.0 
37.4 
W. 
41.8 
47.8 
85.2 
65.6 
27.7 
Tuesday .... 
14 
30.153 
42.1 
38.1 
M. 
41.1 
50.3 
39.2 
101.9 
23.2 
_ 
Wednesday.. 
15 
SO.210 
4.5.0 
41.8 
N.W. 
41.7 
53.3 
38.2 
92.9 
85.2 
— 
Thursday.... 
Ifi 
30.191 
49.2 
44.9 
W. 
42.9 
57.9 
40.4 
102.0 
.33.4 
0.030 
Friday . 
17 
30.157 
44.7 
39.9 
N.W. 
41.3 
54.4 
37.0 
102.4 
31.4 
— 
Saturday .... 
18 
30.205 
46.1 
41.3 
E. 
41.6 
58.2 
33,6 
101.1 
25.3 
— 
30.104 
44.3 
40.4 1 
41.3 
53.8 
85.6 
9t.S 
29.3 
0.173 
REMARKS. 
12th.—Alternate cloud, sunshine, and showers; heavy rain, with hail fram 3.45 to 
4.30 P.M. 
13th.—Overcast morning ; a little sunshine in afternoon. 
14th.—Brilliant early, and generally fine; but little sunshine in afternoon. 
15th—Fine, and generally bright; but cloudy at times in afternoon. 
IGth.—Brilliant early, but generallr cloudy after It A. M.; showe.'S in evening. 
17th.—Brilliant morning; cloudy at times in afternoon. 
18th.—Bright and pleasant. 
Barometer still high, rainfall deficient, and temperature below the average.— 
Q. J. SYMONS. 
