324 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 6, 1893. 
grain to retain a place on market in competition witt that 
grown in the Western States as well as in India and other 
countries. 
WOEK ON THE HOME FAEM. 
Glad were we to hear from an energetic correspondent farming 
2000 acres of land that by bringing his steam cultivator into full action 
immediately after harvest, and keeping it going daily, he had got the 
whole of his arable land clean, and either ready for sowing with winter 
corn (v/hich was being done when he wrote to us), or thrown up for 
the winter. He also said that he had fed, sold, and got the money for 
upwards of 4000 pigs already during the current year. We told long 
ago of a tenant of our own who paid all the labour of his three farms 
with his “ pig money.” With cheap corn and dear pork every sensible 
farmer has largely increased the number of his store sows. It is men 
who meet the times promptly, making judicious changes, and throwing 
their whole energy into the work, that continue fairly prosperous. 
Well, now, a set of steam tackles is only to be met with occasionally, 
but much may be done, much has been done this autumn by keeping 
horses and men going at full pressure. Some extra corn, extra pay, 
the master’s eye and hand guiding and leading has told so well that the 
on-coming of winter will be welcomed. Severe weather will probably 
set in early (3 inches of snow fell in Cumberland on the 24th of Sep¬ 
tember), and it will be well to clear roots off the land tolerably early 
in October, Mangolds ought certainly to be in clamps before the end 
of the month. To all who resolve to increase their swine stock we say, 
Eesolve to keep them and their surroundings thoroughly clean. It pays. 
Filth retards growth, engenders disease, and eventually leads to those 
disastrous outbreaks of swine fever which are so ruinous and altogether 
deplorable. Breed well, keeping only young compact sows, paying 
especial attention to the selection of a pure-bred male parent; a Middle 
White answers best for porkers, and porkers really well bred and well 
fed, weighing about 50 lbs, when dressed, have proved more profitable 
with us than any other class of swine. 
NEW ZEALAND-A WARNING TO FARMERS. 
Since 1874 the profits from farming land in Great Britain have 
diminished so steadily and surely, that few men can now obtain a 
commercial return on the capital in the occupation therein, and many 
are not able to make ends meet, even with such assistance as owners are 
able or willing to render. The home papers, which I read as eagerly as 
when living in England, show that numerous panaceas are offered to the 
farming public by those of their own craft and by city tailors. Some 
might be useful, but I cannot see how the farmer can live as in the past 
now that British enterprise has brought to his own market the produce 
of the virgin lands of the whole earth. 
During my twelve years’ experience as a successful New Zealand 
farmer I have had wide opportunities of forming an opinion of my fellow 
colonists’ abilities in that direction. My sole object in writing this is to 
warn farmers not to be misled by the colonising agents, who, in professing 
to be the friends of the poor farmer, are far more interested in disposing 
of the large areas of land which now lie as an incubus on the banks and 
loan companies, greatly aggravated by the crushing graduated land tax. 
A British farmer landing in New Zealand with his family and a few 
hundred pounds, but without the necessary colonial experience, will 
most surely live to regret leaving the old country. Suppose he lands in 
Auckland. He will have to find a house, food, and fuel, at a cost of 
£2 to £3 a week, until he can look over the offered land, perhaps 
150 miles away, and by the time he has satisfied himself his capital has 
considerably diminished ere disappointment and failure begin. The 
only men whom I advise to emigrate are farmers’ sons who can bring 
money, powerful limbs, and a stout heart. These alone are the men who 
have a chance of success. Let them place their money in the Post Office 
Savings Bank and go to work at the lowest rung of the ladder. 
Many of my fellow colonists would strongly object to my showing 
the intending emigrant farmers the rocks ahead. They would say “ Let 
them come and find it out for themselves, as others have ; we require 
money and population.” I am first an English farmer, the only son of 
a long line of octogenarian tenant farmers, and I feel that it is my duty to 
warn men who have some years’ experience of the dear old country, and 
probably families ef young children, not to leave home unless they have 
brothers here to care for and direct them. 
Thousands of men during the land boom, the offspring of the huge 
borrowing and squandering policy of Sir Julius Vogel’s Ministry, bought 
up far more land than they could profitably occupy, much of which 
would be dear at a gift. These broad acres must be got rid of by hook 
or crook, and many hooks and crooks have been invented to secure the 
unwary. I think I know most of them. One only need here be 
mentioned as a sample. A land agent took me over an estate which 
was for sale in the North Island. There were on it a few hungry- 
looking calves roaming at will, the only cultivated land being a small 
field, in which grass was just coming up. This was shown to me as a 
fair sample of what the soil could produce when improved by cultiva¬ 
tion. Finding a Government engineer laying out roads close by, I stole 
a private interview, and gathered from him that, along with the grass 
seeds, half a ton of finely powdered bones had been sown per acre. I 
escaped ; but the next man was hooked, 
I rejoice to say that very many farmers are prosperous and contented ; 
but they are, for the chief part, such as I have previously described, 
having bought up land at from 5s. to 40s. per acre, and, by years of 
unremitting toil, fenced, cultivated, and built homesteads. When 
Wheat was worth twice as much as it is at present, they were able to 
pay off the whole or part of the mortgages, and now wool and the 
frozen meat trade enables them to live in ease and plenty. At present 
selling prices of that land the purchaser would have as hard a time of it 
as the British farmer, and moreover, would have to reckon with the 
moneylenders, who are a different race of beings to the average English 
and Scotch landlord. Good farms within easy distance of a shipping 
port are realising from £20 to £40 an acre. If your climate were equal 
to this, I believe that many colonial farmers would emigrate and take 
up land at home.— Sentinel (in the “Field”). 
ACORN POISONING. 
The following circular has been sent to us by the Board of Agricul¬ 
ture, 4, Whitehall Idace, S.W. :— 
The attention of the Board of Agriculture has been called to the 
unusual abundance of the crop of Acorns this season, and it is considered 
desirable to warn stockowners who are accustomed to turn cattle into 
parks, on to commons, or other places where Acorns are plentiful, that 
there is considerable risk of injurious effects arising from the con¬ 
sumption of large quantities of Acorns, which in the present dearth 
of herbage, owing to the long drought, are certain to be eaten with 
avidity. 
In the years 1868, 1870, and 1884, which were remarkable for a 
large yield of Acorns after a long dry and hot summer, serious losses 
among young cattle occurred from outbreaks of what is known as the 
Acorn disease, or Acorn poisoning. In many districts, notably in 
Middlesex, Kent, Hertfordshire, Warwickshire, Lincolnshire, North¬ 
amptonshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Devonshire, the New Forest, 
Sussex, Surrey, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Derbyshire, extensive outbreaks 
of the disease occurred. Young cattle up to two years old suffered 
most severely. Milch cows and cattle over three years old were seldom 
affected. Sheep and pigs appeared to be unsusceptible to the poisonous 
action of the seeds, and only two or three cases of the disease were 
reported in these animals, while entire herds of young cattle were 
attacked and a large proportion of them succumbed. 
Acorn poisoning is quite distinct from indigestion due to eating an 
excessive quantity of Acorns. This accidental disorder may occur in 
ordinary seasons when animals are first allowed access to pasture where 
Acorns abound. But the true Acorn disease is distinguished by progres¬ 
sive wasting, entire loss of appetite, diarrhoea, discharge of an excessive 
quantity of pale urine, sore places inside the mouth, discharge from the 
nostrils and also from the eyes, which are always sunken, giving to the 
animal a peculiar haggard expression. No fever is present from first to 
last, but, on the contrary, the temperature is commonly below the 
normal standard. 
On post-mortem examination it is frequently noticed that all traces 
of the Acorns have disappeared. The morbid changes are such as are 
seen when an irritant poison has been given. 
Remedies of various kinds were tried in the great outbreaks of the 
disease, but no cure was discovered. Prevention is comparatively easy 
when the risk is realised. It is only necessary for absolute security to 
keep cattle from the pastures while Acorns are falling. The danger will 
be materially lessened by collecting the Acorns from the pastures, but 
this device does not prevent a considerable consumption of the nuts 
which fall during the night. It has also been suggested that when 
cattle are only allowed access to Acorns during the daytime they 
should be supplied with a liberal allowance of food before they are 
turned out. It cannot be affirmed that these plans have always proved 
successful in practice. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamden Square, London. 
Lat.51° 32'40" N.; Loug. 0° 8/ 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
In THE Day. 
d 
‘3 
1893. 
September. 
1 Barometer 
j 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 .. 
24 
29-979 
48-6 
44-2 
N.W. 
52-5 
60-3 
35-3 
104-9 
30-9 
— 
Monday .. 
25 
30-004 
53-9 
49-3 
S.W. 
51-9 
61-9 
39-3 
103-1 
35-4 
— 
Tuesday .. 
26 
30-002 
52-1 
49-9 
S.W. 
52-6 
65-0 
45-7 
106-4 
40-6 
0-220 
Wednesday 
27 
29-800 
59-1 
56-4 
W. 
53-9 
67-8 
52-1 
107-8 
49 9 
— 
Thursday.. 
28 
29 854 
56-9 
53-1 
S.W. 
54-9 
62-6 
48-3 
79-9 
45-2 
0-122 
Friday 
29 
29-366 
57-9 
53-9 
S.W. 
55-2 
65-9 
53-9 
105-3 
50-2 
0-074 
Saturday .. 
30 
29-290 
55-0 
52-4 
S.W. 
55-0 
63-2 
51-4 
1C4'2 
48-4 
0.010 
29-756 
54-8 
51-3 
53-7 
63-8 
46-6 
101-7 
42-9 
0-426 
REMAKES. 
24th.—Almost unbroken sunshine by day ; brilliant moonlight night. 
25th.—Frequently sunny in morning ; generally overcast in afternoon ; spots of rain 
from 4.30 to 6 P.M.; moonlight night. 
26th.—Overcast early ; generally sunny after 11 A.M.; spots of rain about 6 P.il. 
27th.—Rain from 1 A.M. to 4 A.M., and showers after ; generally sunny during day, and 
bright night; lunar halo. 
28th.—Sunshine early and solar halo from 8.30 to 9.30 A.M. ; overcast from 10 A.M., with 
frequent spots of rain, and showers in afternoon. 
29th.—Bright sunshine and high wind almost throughout; spots of rain once or twice 
in the afternoon, and rain at night. 
30th.—Overcast till 10.30 A.M., bright and breezy after; sharp shower at 1.5 P.M., but 
uninterrupted sunshine. 
A touch of frost on grass on the morning of the 24th, but on the whole a mild fine 
week.—G, J. STMONS. 
