84 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January i6, 1893. 
dressed for the first time on July Gth and 7th, and the whole 
were finished before any sign of disease appeared. 
By the middle of August, we are told, the early kinds were 
quite ready to take up. This was done August 10th to 13th, 
the Dalmahoys of the medium varieties being also taken up on 
August 16th. There were no diseased tubers in either of the 
five sorts, and so far the trial was entirely successful. But on 
August 24th it was noticed that the dressing had for the most part 
been washed off the leaves of the remaining plots, and directions 
were given that the plants should be again sprayed. An 
interval of a week before this was done left the haulm exposed 
just when it most required protection, and on September 1st) 
when the second spraying was begun, disease became visible- 
It is, therefore, obvious ihat only up to the time of lifting the 
early sorts were the experiments conducted satisfactorily. 
Surely those who controlled the experiments should never have 
left the haulm from which the first dressing was washed without 
an immediate second dressing? The report says it w.as left 
undressed for a week, and for that reason we are bound to regard 
the experiments with the medium and late sorts as unsatis¬ 
factory. When the haulm attains its full height a change occurs 
in the epidermis of its foliage, which may be termed a softening, 
or the first stage of decay; it then becomes a suitable nidus for 
the resting spores of the disease fungus to lay hold of or become 
established in, the mycelium then runs through leaf and stem 
downwards into the tubers, which are more or less affected by 
it. The theory of disease prevention by means of bouillie bor- 
delaise is a perfect coating of every part of the haulm with it ; 
if the coating is imperfect at first, or becomes so subsequently 
while the haulm continues green, then the application of theory 
to practice is at fault, and the expexdment untrustworthy. 
It may be usefully noted here that, regarded as a test of the 
comparative value of the different sorts, it proved that for field 
culture the best Potato among the earlies was Beauty of Hebron, 
among the medium crops the Beading Giant, and of the lite 
varieties Imperator. Beauty of Hebron is described as a “good 
early cropper ; clean skin ; shallow eye; very saleable.” Beading 
Giant is a “ good-looking Potato ; very heavy cropper; clean 
thin skin ; saleable.” Imperator is a “ very good cropper ; 
clean skin ; plant has very large tops ; quite saleable.” In bulk 
of crop Beading Giant was decidedly superior to all others, its 
weight of sound tubers per acre being upwards of 15J tons. It is 
a Potato of excellent quality, which can be recommended for 
general culture. 
Two kinds of bouillie were i^sed, one consisting per acre of 
20 lbs. of sulphate of copper, 20 lbs. of lime unslaked, and 
100 gallons of water ; the other of precisely the same quantities 
of copper, lime, and water, with an addition of 20 lbs. of molasses, 
under a suggestion of M. Girard of the syrup probably helping 
to retain the copper salt more firmly on the leaves, and thus 
rendering it less liable to be removed by rain. The idea proved 
entirely fallacious, no advantage whatever being derived from the 
addition of molasses, and other experiments tend to show that 
20 lbs. each of sulphate of copper and lime to 100 gallons of water 
is the best mixture. 
The report is somewhat contradictory, setting forth in one part 
of it how the whole of the crop of early kinds and one medium 
kind were taken up quite free from disease in the second week in 
August ; and yet in another part saying that neither the ordinary 
bouillie bordelaise nor the bouillie bordelaise sucree had an 
entirely preventive effect. We should say that certainly in the 
early kinds it had undoubtedly a preventive effect, for it was not 
till after the crop of them was taken up that the mixture was 
washed off any of the haulm, so that from June 30th till the 
haulm was decayed it was so well protected by the bouillie that 
disease germs could do no harm. If this view is correct, as we 
believe it to be, widely different results of experiments are easily 
accounted for. If the dressing acts as a shield to ward off disease. 
to be ready effective it must completely envelop every part of the 
haulm, there must be no flaw in it. From the first application 
till tbe decay of the haulm the shield must be intact, and then 
the disease may probably be prevented. The right time for the 
first dressing appears to be a matter for watchful experiment, 
too ; if the dressing lessened the crop as it is said to have done in 
some instances, it was probably owing to some error of 
application. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Instead of selling surplus corn at a loss it is used profitably for 
rearing and fattening live stock at the farm. A considerable quantity 
is required for poultry, of which the number has steadily increased till 
what with four fixed poultry houses, two at the farm and two others 
near gamekeepers’ houses, and several portable ones on wheels, upwards 
of a thousand hens are kept. It is by separating them in batches of four 
or five score that they prove healthy and profitable. During the winter 
the portable houses are brought near the farm in different convenient 
enclosures, where they remain till spring, when they are drawn from one 
meadow to another, or about the park at intervals of a few weeks. By 
feeding close to each poultry house the fowls always keep to them for 
laying and roosting, unless they happen to be placed near a hedge, when 
a hen will occasionally make a nest that is easily found. Of pure 
breeds kept the most profitable are White and Coloured Dorkings, Game, 
and Minorcas. Excellent table birds are obtained by crossing Coloured 
Dorkings with Old English Game ; the chickens grow quickly, have 
deep breasts, and compact yet thick bodies. For winter eggs Orpingtons 
are now generally preferred, and a cross between the White Leghorn 
and Langshan is much liked for the large supply of eggs which it affords, 
but we have a decided preference for White Dorkings, and depend 
entirely upon them for our supply of winter eggs. 
Apart from a given number of bacon pigs, the number of sows kept 
and porkers reared has been regulated by the number of cows in the 
dairy herd in order that all skim milk might be used daily. We object 
strongly to an accumulation of milk and whey w’hich becomes sour and 
unwholesome, and prefer using it soon after it comes from the dairy. 
The bulk of it now returned from the dairy at once as separated milk is 
fresher and can be kept longer than skim milk. Mixed with corn meal 
thinly for sows and porkers, thickly for pigs fattening for home use 
or for market, it forms the most nourishing food. Upon the principle of 
buying in a cheap market and selling in a dear one several more young 
Suffolk sows were purchased about a year ago ; these had their second 
and third farrows of pigs during the year, and proved an excellent 
investment. By these and similar means corn is turned to much better 
account than if it had been sold at a price which precludes profit. We 
take care not only to feed well with it, but also to market well with 
the eggs, poultry, pork, butter, cheese, mutton, and beef which it helps 
to produce. 
Vinton’s Agricultural Almanac for 1893 answers well to its 
title of “ A Year Book for Farmers and Landowners,” and further as 
abounding with “ facts, statistics, figures, prescriptions, guidance, 
information—on crops, live stock, soils, implements, manures—for the 
estate, the farm, the farm house—the landlord, the tenant, and the 
labourer.” To this summary of contents given on the first page of its 
cover it makes an entirely satisfactory response upon perusal. Tables 
are its leading feature ; it also contains several interesting articles, and 
portraits of some men of note in the agricultural world. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0“^ 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE Day. 
Bain. 
1893. 
January. 
1 Barometer 
1 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 .. 15 
30-182 
27-2 
26-0 
N.E. 
33-1 
32-0 
26-1 
54-3 
22-7 
_ 
Monday .. 16 
29-964 
30-0 
29-4 
S. 
32-9 
39-9 
23-4 
39-9 
18-4 
0-222 
Tuesday .. 17 
29-889 
30-3 
29-9 
E. 
33-0 
35-0 
29-5 
36-0 
28-8 
0-122 
Wednesday 18 
30-140 
35-0 
34-5 
W. 
33-1 
44-8 
26-9 
51-1 
18-6 
o-oso 
Thursday.. 19 
30-452 
40-0 
39-2 
E. 
33-2 
42-9 
35-0 
47-3 
30-6 
_ 
Friday .. 23 
SO-376 
39-9 
39-6 
N.W. 
33-2 
42-8 
36-1 
64-9 
29-2 
_ 
Saturday .. 21 
30-406 
37-1 
35-1 
W. 
33-2 
43-0 
33-9 
59-0 
27-1 
0-04S 
30-201 
34-2 
33-4 
33-1 
40-1 
30-1 
48-9 
251 
0-440 
REMARKS. 
15th.—Bright sunshine all day but cold N.B. wind. 
16th.—Almost continuous slight snow or sleet from 8 A.M., changing to drizzle about 
noon and to steady rain later, which ceased about 7 P.M. 
17th.—Dark and overcast early; slight drizzle, freezing at it fell, about 11 A.M., 
changing to sleet about noon and to snow at 1 P.M.; depth at 4.30 P.M., when 
it had practically peased, three-quarter inch; slight drizzle or sleet in the 
evening. 
18th.—Wet from early morning till about 11 A.M.; fair after 1 P.M.; clear night. 
19th.—Overcast day; fine night. 
20th.—Overcast early; occasional sunshine after 11 A.M.; bright sunny afternoon. 
21st.—Cloudy early ; fine and sunny from 10.30 A.M. to 1 P.M.; cloudy afternoon. 
A very ordinary January week; temperature not far from the average, but the soil 
remains cold.—G. J. Symons. 
