568 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 21, 1893. 
some sii years ago by the Field, a complete record of the 
dietary of a beast sold as prime beef at seventy-one weeks 
old 
£ s. d. 
Purchase of acalf,, .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..2 00 
Four weeks’ new milk, 6 quarts daily, at 2d. per quart.1 8 0 
Eight weeks’ skimmed milk, 6 quarts daily, at ^d. per quart, and 2 lbs. meal, 
at IJd. per lb. .1 5 8 
Seventeen weeks in June, July, August, and September on a daily diet of 2 lbs. 
linseed cake, 2 lbs. beanmeal. Mangold, hay, grass. Clover, &c.3 19 4 
Twenty-six weeks to end of March, 5 lbs. cake and meal daily, | bushel of 
roots, hay. and straw for fodder.6 16 6 
Sixteen weeks to harvest 8 lbs. cake and meal daily, Mangold, grass, Clover ; 
total. 7s. 2|d. a week .5 15 8 
Attendance, seventy-one weeks at 6d.1 15 6 
Insurance, interest, and rent of shed.1 50 
£24 5 8 
Dr. £ s. d. 
A bullock, seventy-one weeks old 24 5 8 
Profit .4 8 4 
Cr. £ s. d. 
A bullock sold at seventy-one 
weeks old.. .. 24 17 0 
Value of manure.3 17 0 
£28 14 0 
£28 14 0 
The value of the manure was estimated at 20 per cent, on 
the cost of the food (£19 5s. 2d.), but, taken as the straw 
equivalent, we have then only a profit of 11s. 4d. remaining. 
The dietary is instructive as showing amounts and the 
progressive scale of feeding a young beast calved in spring 
and sold at harvest in the following year. In the dietary 
something might be gained by the substitution of corn for 
cake, both to avoid cake bills and to utilise home-grown pro¬ 
duce, in the guise of a mixture of crushed Oats, Wheat, Barley, 
Beans, Peas—all or any of them, it matters not—for it has 
been proved by the Woburn experiments of the Royal Agri¬ 
cultural Society that bullocks thrive equally well upon corn 
or cake ; and we are disposed to favour the corn on the score 
of economy, and also because a mixed dietary is always the 
most wholesome. 
On the other hand, it is worth while considering if we 
cannot do better where rich pasture is available by finishing 
beasts either at two or three years on the grass, avoiding 
stall feeding altogether. In doing this the calves would only 
be let run out in favourable weather; all exposure to gad 
flies, cold, or wet would be avoided. Crushed corn would be 
given in pans on pasture if required; they would be pushed 
steadily on during the winter, and if intended for market by the 
second autumn they would have some corn all the summer. 
If kept over a second winter they could be so cared for as 
to go on pasture in the following spring in such fresh 
condition that they would come out fat by September or 
October. 
The treatment of such beasts must always be tentative and 
not by line and rule. When kept till the third autumn corn 
would be used during the winter, but it would hardly be required 
at all with a full bite of rich grass in the spring and summer. 
The fattening property of the best grasses and Clover is simply 
marvellous; be it our care to see that the young stock leaves the 
yards for it in spring in such fleshy condition that the grazing 
tells quickly, and the beasts are kept going steadily on to early 
ripeness and fair profit. Very different this to the progress of 
those wretched starvelings, leaving the yards at turn-out time, 
with every rib so clearly defined with hollows between them, 
that one might suppose the idea of ridge-and-furrow roofing was 
suggested by them. Nothing can be more deplorable than 
their miserable plight, and it is difl&cult to see how any reason¬ 
able person can expect anything like profit from them. By all 
means pay heedful regard to economy, but see that it is an 
embodiment of judicious expenditure with avoidance of waste. 
Spend freely when it can be done to good purpose, and remember 
that waste avoidance includes the wise prevention of loss of 
condition in our stock during winter. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
The pickling and smoking of bacon and ham are now being done as 
the pigs fed specially for the purpose become ready. We intend writing 
a special article on this important part of home farm economy shortly, 
and only mention the matter now as a reminder to home farmers that 
their method of bacon curing is for a supply from, say, New Year’s Day 
till Christmas at the least, and the process must be altogether more 
deliberate and thorough than that of the bacon factory men, who 
accomplish in a few days for what the home farmer requires two months. 
Their bacon is intended for speedy consumption and not for long storage ; 
it is, therefore, obviously unwise to introduce their meth^ at the 
home farm. 
Fatten and sell all sows becoming old or of large size; the only 
exception we ever make is with sows that are exceptionally gentle and 
quiet. But no sow should be kept for breeding after she becomes large, 
or rather approaches a size which involves risk of her lying upon her 
progeny. It is also evident that very large breeding sows must consume 
much more food than those of moderate size. It is at her second litter 
or farrow that a sow is at her best; this is our guide to breeding early, 
and the first farrowing should be when the sow is ten months old, the 
period of gestation being sixteen weeks. Bear this in mind in your 
scheme for the coming year, so as to have an ample store of porkers 
ready for corn stubbles ; and when a young sow proves to be a bad 
mother, biting or eating her young, she must be fattened and sold. 
Temper in the sow often arises from soreness of teats, for which reason, 
and by way of prevention, the four sharp temporary teeth which yourg 
pigs have are broken off at birth by many breeders. 
In any case we have always found it answer to have a few extra 
sows to make certain a full supply of pork and bacon for home require¬ 
ments. Superfluous pigs of any age or size always find a ready market, 
fatten quickly, and are soon out of hand. Place sows about to farrow 
in comfortable quarters—a commodious sty with a frame round the 
sides to protect the young pigs when the sows lie down. Use only a 
moderate amount of short litter, shut in sow and pigs in very cold 
weather—it is then that a passage at the back of the sty is so useful. 
Do not wait for the weaning before feeding the pigs, but as soon as 
they are able to eat raise the slip board along one side of the sty, so 
that the pigs can get out to a low trough placed near it outside. Barley- 
meal, ground oats, or wheatmeal, with milk, answers well for them. 
Spratts’ Almanac. —Spratts Patent, Limited, send us a copy of 
their Almanac for 1894. It contains an illustrated sheet, with calendar 
for each month, with notes explanatory of the subjects illustrated. It 
will be acceptable to fanciers of dogs, poultry, and domestic pets. It is 
supplied to customers who apply soon enough and enclose a stamp for 
postage to Henry Street, Bermondsey, London. 
Live Stock Handbooks —Messrs. Vinton & Co., London, pro¬ 
prietors of the well-known “ Handbooks of the Farm,” have, in response 
to numerous applications, commenced the publication of a new series, 
entitled “Live Stock Handbooks.” The first volume is devoted to 
sheep, and has been written by Professor Wrightson. There are twenty- 
four full-page engravings, and the price is 39. 6d. This will be followed 
by handbooks on light and heavy horses, cattle, pigs, and other animals. 
“Live Stock Journal” Almanac for 1894.—Once more is the 
high standard of this useful annual well maintained. Each leading 
class of horse, cattle, and sheep has its special article recording its 
progress for the year, and so possessing an historical as well as a 
practical value. Pigs and poultry also have attention, besides which 
there are interesting and valuable contributions on Horse Breeding, 
Horse Shoeing, Influence of Food on Milk, Feeding Live Stock, Milk 
Records, Wool and its Preparation, Bacon Curing, Management of Pigs, 
and the Fattening of Poultry. This brief notice will suffice to show 
what a useful publication it is, useful alike for reference and for its 
special information upon matters of interest to everyone connected 
with agriculture. The work is illustrated and published by Messrs. 
Vinton & Co., London, 9, New Bridge Street, Ludgate Circus, E.C. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamden Square, London. 
Lat.51° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
In THE Day. 
Bain. 
1 
1893. 
December. 
1 Barometer 
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 .. 10 
2H-605 
39-7 
38-8 
S.E. 
40-5 
47-7 
30-7 
491 
27-7 
0 094 
Monday .. 11 
29-426 
47-1 
45-2 
S.W. 
40-2 
47-8 
38-9 
57-4 
33-0 
0-02S 
Tuesday .. 12 
29-555 
46-4 
43-9 
S. 
40-0 
53-3 
33-2 
54-2 
28 1 
0-346 
Wednesday 13 
29-176 
53-4 
52-6 
s. 
41-1 
57-8 
41-9 
68-9 
36-1 
0-426 
Thursday.. 14 
29-723 
39-1 
36-9 
N. 
43-1 
43-3 
38-4 
65-6 
35-6 
_ 
Friday .. 15 
30-416 
40-9 
38-1 
S.W. 
410 
50-7 
31-1 
58-9 
27-9 
_ 
Saturday .. 16 
30-532 
48-1 
46-6 
s. 
42-0 
51-6 
40-7 
62-0 
37-8 
— 
29 762 
450 
43 2 
41-1 
50-3 
36-3 
59-4 
32-3 
0 892 
REMARKS. 
10th.—Overcast till noon ; very squally, with heavy rain from 0.30 to 1.30 P.M., and at 
times in afternoon ; fair again in evening. 
11th.—Rain at 5 A.M., and overcast early; sunny from 11 A.M. to I P.M. ; fair after¬ 
noon and bright night. 
12th.—Squally southerly gales. Occasional gleams of sun in morning; heavy rain 
from 1.45 P.M. to 4.30 P.M. Gale very severe from 4.30 to 5.30 P.M., and 
dropped suddenly at 6.30 P.M. 
13th.—Overcast, with squalls and showers till 10.30 A.M. ; fine and generally sunny from 
11 A.M. to sunset; heavy shower at 7.30 P.M., and heavy rain from 11 P.M. to 
2.30 A.M. on the 14th. 
14th.—Heavy rain till 2.30 *.M.; overcast till about 10 A.M.; bright sun from 11 to 
sunset, and bright night. 
15th.—Fine, with a good deal of bright sunshine in morning; generally cloudy in 
afternoon. 16th.—Fine, and generally sunny. 
Milder, southerly winds and gales, low barometer, nd rain.—G. J. SYMONS. 
