514 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 22, 1895, 
TWO FARMS—A CONTRAST. 
How much the ordinary farmer of this country is dependent 
upon seasonable rainfall has probably never been shovn so 
clearly as now, in what is practically the fourth month of a 
spring and early summer drought. It is true that there has been 
some rain in eertain localities, but no appreciable downfall 
since February. There has been an abnormally high tem¬ 
perature, and the effect of the combined drought and heat 
upon farm crops has been alike interesting and instructive. 
It has taught many useful lessons, and has certainly 
deepened the convietion that drought at any season of the year 
tells much more upon crops on poor neglected land than it 
does upon those having the benefit of rich soil in thorough 
cultivation. 
Since writing our last home farm article we have been over 
many farms, several of them dairy farms, entirely in grass, and 
found much of the pasture eaten bare, and the hay crops prac¬ 
tically a failure. At none of these farms is there anything done 
worthy of the name of systematic cultivation ; the only manure 
is from the grazing stock, there is no sheep-folding, no use of 
chemical manure. This was the case, too, at a farm having 
the advantage of a few aeres of arable land, all sown with corn ; 
pasture and corn were alike in a wretched plight, the corn being 
also foul with coltsfoot and twitch grass. To tell the tenant 
how much better he might do whilst he is under the stress of 
such a time of drought, and straitened in means as he most 
probably is, would seem absolute mockery. What can be done 
for him ? It is certain that the man who farmed well in good 
times has been able to hold his own in bad times—to continue 
fairly prosperous simply because he has continued to farm well. 
To the inferior farmer the difficulties of the situation become 
more and more pronounced, and even if he wished to try and do 
better it would hardly be possible to effect a radical change at 
once. It is certain, however, that arable land on such a farm 
should be cropped for stock-feeding, and not to produce corn 
for sale. 
No contrast could be gi’eater than the condition of the crops 
of another farm, entirely ai-able, and chiefly devo‘:ed to the 
cultivation of vegetables. Thei’e were fields of Cabbages, 
Onions, Peas, early Potatoes, Lettuces, and Parsnips, all in 
perfect health and vigour, without a sign of growth arrested or 
dwarfed by drought. The only crop on the farm which afforded 
any indication of such an influence was a fine field of Wheat, 
with short but very stout straw. It was a triumph of cultivation 
in such a season—not a weed to be seen, the surface well stirred, 
and the soil evidently full of manure. The importance of the 
lesson afforded by this vegetable farm cannot easily be over¬ 
rated. It plainly indicates how advantageously the principles 
of gardening may be applied to farming—not in bringing farm 
land generally under the eultivation of fruit and vegetables, but 
rather in bringing all soil that is worth cultivation up to a high 
standard of excellence. In doing this we must go back to the 
very rudiments of soil tillage, and for example take the case of 
a dairy farmer who intends trying to improve a certain meadow 
which is now bare of nutritious herbage, with the surface 
cracked and seamed with fissui-es caused by drought. He knows 
that in ordinary seasons it has always been termed wet, though 
it is an upland field, and a wise landlord will surely respond 
to his appeal for drainage in early autumn. With drains in 
full action sheep-folding may then follow at once; and if 
about 4 cwt. per acre of basic slag is applied in the autumn 
as well, the pasture would be sufficiently stored with fertility 
to render it really productive next season. Slag at 28. per 
cwt. is the cheapest form of phosphate application we have, 
and if applied in the autumn it does much good in the 
following spring and summer. With soil so rich in plant 
food as the meadow would be after such treatment, early 
growth in spring is assured, however cold or ungenial the 
weather may be. 
For such folding any sheep will answer, but when a choice is 
possible we prefer either fine sturdy hoggets or really good 
draught ewes. These may always be had worth the money at 
autumn markets or fairs. If purchased with judgment they 
fatten well enough in folds to cover expenses even now. Some¬ 
times they afford a fair profit, but it should be remembered 
that profit must be looked for in the pasture by its strong 
vigorous growth next season. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
After sheep shearing comes the dipping, for which purpose we 
always use Cooper’s preparation, only waiting till any wounds from the 
shearings are healed. Never was the dipping more important than irfc 
this hot dry season, flies being rampant everywhere. It is necessary to 
remind our readers in connection with this important matter, never to 
dip the ewes while they are suckling lambs ; the lambs will imbibe the 
poison in the dip mixture and die. Wean them, and then dip the 
lambs too ; all should then be safe from fly attacks for some time. 
Leave nothing to chance, however, but keep a watchful eye upon the 
flock. A fly-stricken sheep may easily be detected by its restlessness,, 
and a quiet look round enables the farmer or shepherd to tell if all is 
well without handling the sheep. We have known serious harm done 
by inattention to the flock during haymaking. Never trust a boy to 
count or inspect the flock, however great the pressure of work may be 
but let them be seen by an experienced man twice daily. 
Look closely after cases of footrot in the flock. Trim diseased feet 
carefully, tenderly, and frequently, dressing the sores with Gell’s oint¬ 
ment. By attention and care this troublesome complaint may be kept 
under, so that there are no extreme cases of feet so tender that the- 
suffering animals kneel while eating. Such “kneelers” in a flock are 
a disgrace to shepherd or caretaker, and are sure signs of negligence. 
Any difficult cases should be kept in a paddock or other small enclosure,, 
to admit of frequent examination and extra careful treatment. We 
have had cases where there was no sore visible and no discharge, yet 
the foot has been hot and swollen. A linseed-meal poultice is then 
necessary to relieve the animal and induce a discharge of pus ; then a. 
cure speedily follows. The poultice is applied in a bag, with strings 
to fasten it to the leg. It must be renewed daily, the leg and foot 
being well fomented with warm water when the poultice is taken off. 
It is a good plan to examine the feet of all the sheep occasionally, to 
cut off any hoof growth of undue length, and to remove hard pieces of 
dirt or stone which may get in the hoof and cause soreness. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamdex Square, London. 
Lat.510 32'40" N.; Long. 0''8'0" W.; Altitude, HI feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE Day. 
Rain. 
1893. 
June. 
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 .. 
11 
30-275 
56-5 
5J-5 
N.E. 
60-7 
68-9 
48-2 
116-9 
42-3 
Monday .. 
12 
30144 
53-7 
49 3 
N.E. 
60-1 
69-9 
52-0 
112-1 
51-1 
— 
Tuesday .. 
13 
29-994 
68-1 
59-0 
N.E. 
60-1 
78-9 
51-1 
123-2 
46-3 
— 
Wednesday 
14 
29-867 
71-9 
61-6 
N.E. 
61.8 
82-2 
53-7 
123-1 
49-0 
Thursday.. 
15 
29 943 
71-1 
62-1 
N.E. 
62-9 
84-3 
59-2 
124-9 
51-1 
_ 
Friday 
16 
30-143 
72-8 
61-7 
N.E. 
64-0 
88-2 
54-6 
128 0 
48-4 
_ 
Saturday .. 
17 
30-303 
76-7 
63-0 
E. 
65-1 
88-8 
55-9 
127-1 
49-7 
— 
30-096 
67-3 
58-2 
62-1 
80-2 
53 5 
122.2 
48-3 
— 
REMARKS. 
11th.—Overcast all morning; bright sunshine all afternoon. 
12th.—Overcast all morning; almost cloudless after 1 P.M. 
13th.—Bright sunshine throughout. 
14th.—Almost cloudless till 6 P.M. ; a little thunder and spots of rain between 
7 and 8 P.M. 
15th.—Bright ani hot, with very little cloud till 4 P.M., then cloudy till 7 P.M., but 
clear again after. 
16th.—Bright and hot. 
17th.—Hot, and almost cloudless. 
An extremely dry and hot week with no measurable rain, but a few drops fell on 
the evening of the 14th.—G. J. Symons. 
