92 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 28, 1892, 
been wisely directed in view of future contingencies ? Regarded 
broadly, so as to take in the bearing of foreign influences, the 
answer is decidedly unfavourable. The Shorthorn craze had only 
the production of beef for its end and aim ; the Herefords only 
yield enough milk to rear their calves ; the same may be said of 
the Sussex ; Red Polls do better, coming much nearer the farmer’s 
ideal cow in a profitable milk yield and the property of fattening 
easily, and it is only in “ butter breeds ” like Jerseys that breeding 
for milk has had the attention it deserves. The error appears to 
be the sacrifice of milk for beef. In milk we have practically a 
monopoly, in beef we have a brisk foreign competition, growing 
in magnitude yearly. The production of milk does not keep pace 
with growth of population, nor are there visible signs of efforts to 
effect improvement where it is so possible. 
Authorities have from time to time published averages for the 
United Kingdom. Taking four of these, the average works out 
at an annual yield per cow of about 363 gallons. Another more 
recent statement places it at 400 gallons. If we take the lacteal 
period at 40 weeks—a low estimate—we have at the 400 gallons 
average only 10 gallons per week ; or add to 400 gallons 150 more 
for consumption by the calf, or a total average yield of 550 gallons, 
and we have then in round numbers a weekly yield of only 
14 gallons, or 8 quarts per diem. Now, we have cows which yield 
fully twice that quantity, so that the range of possible yield is 
very wide indeed. The possibility of improvement is propor¬ 
tionately great—the probability doubtful in about the same ratio. 
We have in these figures avoided niceties of decimal calculation, 
it being sufficient for our purpose thus to state the case broadly. 
Averages of special dairies have been given in former articles on 
this subject, but as bearing usefully upon it mention may now 
be made of Professor Sheldon’s herd of Shorthorns’ yield of 
750 gallons ; of the Duke of Westminster’s herds on the Eaton 
Hall estate, with an average closely approaching this ; of equally 
high average of the Munster Dairy School Shorthorns and cross¬ 
bred Ayrshires ; of a still more remarkable average of 804 gallons 
of the Monewden Red Polls in Suffolk ; and of the yield of an 
average of 600 gallons by a herd of Jerseys at Erleigh Court in 
Berkshire. 
Surely such facts ought to act as an incentive to exertion, for 
if dairy farmers are fairly prosperous under the low general 
average, the higher possible one points to positive affluence. The 
well bred, carefully selected, deep milker requires no more food 
—certainly no greater care—than the mongrel inferior animal ought 
to have ; the only difficulty is to obtain it. How this is to be 
done is sufficiently obvious—just steady persistence in breeding 
and selection—and remember the male parent must come from a 
family of deep milkers equally with the female. Cross-breed as 
much as you please, but do it judiciously and of set purpose, then 
success is a certainty sooner or later. Aim high, for general 
improvement in quality and quantity are both certain to reward 
persistent effort. It must be persistent, taking the inevitable 
failures very much as a matter of course ; keeping in view a certain 
standard of, say, 700 or 800 gallons as a minimum average nett 
annual milk yield per cow. There need be no interference with 
business routine in doing this. The dairy work may go steadily 
on, herd numbers being well sustained, and as the head of deep 
milkers increases profits will grow too, so that means will be 
available for obtaining more heifers from other herds. 
Quality is unlikely to receive much attention from those who 
produce milk solely for immediate sale. Plenty of milk is all they 
care for when it is sold by measure only, but when consigned to 
a butter factory, and sold under systematic testing for quality, then 
richness in cream tells to a much greater extent than is generally 
supposed. There is much difference of opinion as to richness of 
milk, some well-known dairy farmers giving 30 pints as the correct 
quantity required to yield a pound of butter, others lesser quantities 
downwards to 20 pints, yet we have it on high authority that 
16 pints of Jersey milk of average quality, set and churned in an 
ordinary manner, will produce 1 lb. of butter. It must not be 
forgotten that careful breeding conjointly with judicious feeding 
and the use of a good separator, all tell upon the final result. 
It is certain that much cream is wasted through bad management, 
such as churning unripe cream, or that which has been mixed 
carelessly—newly skimmed with that which has been skimmed 
for a day or two, or cream that has been badly separated. No 
doubt success in this as in other things depends very much upon 
a capacity for taking trouble, or in other words close attention to 
detail, as well as to breeding. The man who does one of these is 
precisely he who is most likely to do the other. That he will be 
richly rewarded is a certainty, because his possibilities are so great 
in increased production as well as in a ready market. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Never have we known a more favourable season for all root and green 
crops, seed germination and plant growth being equally quick and 
vigorous. The transplantation of Cabbage and Thousand-headed Kale 
has also gone well, with plenty of rain to establish and set the plants 
growing freely ; with sturdy plants and a rich soil success is then 
assured. Keep the soil well stirred between the rows, it keeps down 
weeds and keeps out drought. Do all you can to have an abundant 
supply of Kale for use next winter and spring, its value then is 
incalculable ; it is such a boon when pastures become bare ; and 
“ When winter lingers in the lap of spring,” 
as it so often does, a few acres of Kale enable one to keep sheep 
off the grass, to keep cows in the yard, to freshen up the milk 
yield, and to wait for the grass till it is really sufficiently forward 
for useful grazing. Let it not be thought that we lay undue 
stress upon this crop or its influence upon the management of stock 
in winter and spring. Kale, though a most useful crop, is after 
all but a means to an end, and is just one of several things to bear in 
mind now. Where roots were sown early they appear to answer best 
this season ; the later sowings—especially of Turnips—failed so much 
that we have seen several fields where seed has been drilled a second 
time in places. Though there has been much wet weather weeds have 
been kept under much better than was possible last summer. Charlock 
has made its appearance in several cornfields in small numbers, just in 
the usual way ; every plant has been pulled up as soon as the flowers 
became visible. This is the only way to keep down this pest. Once leave 
it to ripen seed and it is almost impossible to get rid of it. That is how 
it has practically taken possession of the land on so many farms ; a few 
plants the first year, thousands the second year, any conceivable number 
afterwards. The seed ripens, falls upon the surface, is ploughed in ; any 
near the surface germinates, but so much is buried that every time 
subsequently the soil is stirred by plough, harrow, or cultivator, enough 
seed is brought to the surface for a full crop, so that the expense 
incurred in persistent efforts to eradicate it is positively ruinous. 
As men could be spared weeds on the headlands and ditch-sides of 
cornfields have been cut down before seeding was possible. We have 
reduced the nuisance of such weeds to a minimum by a thorough clearance 
of ridges formed of an accumulation of ditch scourings for many years. 
These were carted to clay fires and burnt, since then the soil has been 
cultivated so near to the edges of the ditches as to leave space only for 
a narrow path ; headlands are well worked and sown, far better is thus 
to grown corn than weeds, and to make neatness and profit to go hand 
in hand. 
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. 
.9 
*3 
P3 
1892. 
July. 
| Barometer 
at 32°, and 
| 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 .. 17 
29-770 
53-8 
53-6 
N.E. 
58-8 
55-5 
53-7 
98-2 
53-6 
0-184 
Monday .. 18 
30-006 
57-3 
49-6 
N.E. 
57-3 
64-1 
49-0 
119-4 
44-0 
0-103 
Tuesday .. 19 
29-945 
58-G 
51-9 
W. 
56-9 
61-0 
46-3 
92-6 
41-8 
0-683 
Wednesday 20 
29-854 
57-3 
53-2 
N. 
56-2 
65-1 
51-2 
108-4 
49-2 
— 
Thursday.. 21 
30-254 
55-6 
49-9 
N. 
56-2 
63 *3 
47-1 
117-1 
42-2 
_ 
Friday .. 22 
30-245 
62-3 
56-1 
S.E. 
57-6 
70-6 
47-5 
100-4 
41-6 
_ 
Saturday .. 23 
30-277 
65*3 
58-4 
W. 
58-0 
76-9 
50-2 
120*4 
44-4 
— 
30-051 
58 6 
53-2 
57-3 
66-0 
493 
108-1 
45-3 
0-97D 
REMARKS. 
17th.—Almost incessant rain till 3 p.m. ; gloomy and damp after; very cold day. 
18th—Sunny early, generally cloudy after 11; overcast afternoon; rain from 5 p.m. 
to 7.30 P.M. 
19th.—Sunny early, fair morning, S.W. gale, with continuous heavy rain from 0.30 P.M. 
to 4.30 P.M., and occasional torrential rains after. 
20th.—High wind, and occasional gleams of sun and spots of rain in morning; frequent 
sunshine in afternoon. 
21st.—Cloudy early, bright sunshine from 11 A.M., cloudy again in evening. 
22nd.—Sunny, but rather hazy. 
23rd.—Bright and warm, hazy at times. 
In spite of the very low maximum of Sunday, 17th, one of the most uniformly cold 
days in July on record, the mean for the week is not notably below the average. 
—G. J. Symons. 
