452 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 17, 1892. 
WHEAT SOWING. 
November Wheat sowing should be done in the ordinary 
rotation of farm management, only on what is termed Turnip 
land, which is lind whereon sheep have been folded to consume 
a crop of white Turnips, say during the last six or eight weeks. 
It is sound practice to finish strong forward hoggets in this 
way, giving them crushed oats in the troughs—say a pint per 
head per diy, or even twice that quantity for exceptiona'ly 
large framed sheep. It is obv’ous that a Suffolk consumes 
more than a South Down, and a Kent or Lincoln more than a 
Suffolk. We give a safe general quantity, and the home farmer 
must use some discretion as to ncreasing or reducing it. For 
such late sowing the Turnips should be sown on really sound 
deep mixed soil, which is precisely the best of all land for 
Wheat, and is from its deep tilth, fine firm seed bed, and ease of 
culture about the only land on which we care to sow Wheat 
now. If Wheat growing in th's country were confined to such 
land for late sowing, and to heavy land for the early general 
sowings in September and October, the average yield would rise 
to 40 bushels. When we get that as an average, and at least 
8 bushels more per acre under special treatment, Wheat grow¬ 
ing will have once more taken its right place in the econ< my of 
farm management, and though not so profitable as of yore - it 
can never be that again without a war and disruption of o e n 
traffic—it will be grown at a profit at any rate. 
The deplorable persistence of so many farmers to go on 
sowing Wheat late in winter, frequently without any special 
care in the se’ection or preparation of the soil, not only keeps 
down the yield average, but makes the farmer a poor man. If 
he persists in such s upid practice, and comes crying for ail in 
the form of rent reduction, he should be made to understand 
in very plain language that he must either alter or leave his 
farm. Hard measure? Certainly not. Hard for the landlord 
if you will, to have to suffer for the stupidity and stubborness 
of such a tenant. Sirely we may claim that it is the duty as 
well as the interest of every tiller of the soil to till and sow in 
a manner to give him reasonable expectation of a profit-a fair 
return upon his work. It is not doing so when a poor weedy stub¬ 
ble is ploughed in November or December and sown with Wheat. 
Sheep folds we have shown again and again are one of the 
very best forms of imparting fertility to land. There can be no 
doubt that the farmyard manure used for a root crop does much 
good to the corn crop which follows—probably more good than 
it did to the roots. The common mistake is in using so 1 ttle of 
it and nothing else in ploughing in a miserable half-dressing 
now for the Wheat. But even that would not be so bad if only 
it were supplemented by a top-dressing of 1 or 2 cwt. per acre of 
nitrate of soda in spring when the plant is growing freely, and 
when it is quickly dissolved by April showers. Nothing in farm¬ 
ing is so speedy in action, so marked in effect, so profitable in 
results. The effect of such top-dressings to all growing crops, 
but espec ally of Wheat, has well been described as “ wonder¬ 
ful.' Not only is growth marvellously accelerated, but the crop 
is frequently doubled, so that by the expenditure of about £1 per 
acre we get corn worth £2 or £3 per acre than would otherwise 
be possible. We achieve success where failure was so possible, 
in striking contrast to the lamentable results of those who 
continue regarding nitrate of soda as a scourge of the soil. How 
strange ! Here we have one of the greatest boons that- has ever 
come to the farmer, positively regarded by him as an evil, a 
source of harm to his land, a waste of his means. The igno¬ 
rant just follow the lead of tho e of greater ignorance, who, are 
outspoken in their blind dislike of “niter-soda’’ without test¬ 
ing the matter most carefully for themselves. Only get plenty 
of mineral manure in the land and the nitrate may be used with 
a free hand to very great advantage. 
To those, then, whose work is in arrear, and who intend 
sowing Wheat seme time or other during winter, we say, Be 
cautious, and unless you have exceptional advantages of soil sow 
only enough for home requirements. Far better to do this, 
ploughing the remainder of the land intended for Wheat, and 
then wait till spring for a crop of Oats. Be on the alert to 
obtain enough of the best seed Oats, preferably Black Tartarian* 
short, thick, heavy grain; give the land a full dressing of manure, 
consisting of say 3 or 4 cwt. of superphosphate and half that 
quantity of nitrate of soda, and see if you cannot obtain 80 or 
90 bushels of grain per acre, as well as some big stacks of excel¬ 
lent fodder for your live stock. The quantity of Oats per acre 
is well within bounds, but is far above the ordinary average, and 
is only to be had on land rich in fertility. Such a crop is much 
more profitable than any Wheat crop could be from late sowings 
on poor or badly tilled land. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Most of the fat beasts grazed on marsh land have been sold, and 
though prices were low, yet on the whole they have afforded us some 
profit. This is noteworthy at a time when every weekly market gives 
rise to complaints of heavy losses upon cattle. We can only repeat our 
advice to every farmer and grazier to clear off his surplus stock, and to 
set himself seriously to see which animals ought to be regarded as coming 
under that comprehensive designation. With dairy cows, the home 
farmer’s aim is to keep them in as healthy and fresh condition as ne 
can throughout winter, to have a cow or two calving from the present 
time onwards till spring or summer. In connection with this herd there 
must always be in calf heifers, yearlings, and calves, to come into it to 
fill any vacancies from losses or take the place of worn-out cows. Then 
for grazing there should be the home-bred steers of from twelve to 
eighteen months old, with calves of the current year to follow. For 
every one of them there must be an adequate provision of food and 
shelter till “ turn out time,” which may be by the end of next 
March, or not till late in May. Let this be well thought out, and a 
sufficient provision of food made or kept for all possible requirements, 
and to allow a liberal surplus. 
In this matter there must be no foolish parsimonious pinching. 
Economy here means keeping the whole of the live stock in a healthy 
fresh condition. The term of “ fresh ” is familiar to all graziers, 
carrying with it the meaning of a really fleshy well-nourished animal 
that is not fat, but which may very soon be made so. Well, now, com¬ 
pare such a lot of animals with the half-starved neglected cattle of the 
ordinary farm in winter. Many a farm do we know where the cattle 
have no other shelter than the pasture hedges, where they are on such 
short commons in winter that every scrap of “ fog,” be it green or 
brown, is eaten up, and which by spring time are in very low condition, 
so low that it requires months of fair grazing to get some flesh upon 
the prominent ribs. How can it reasonably be expected that such 
ill-treated, mismanaged animals can pay 1 Therefore, we say, Sell 
surplus stock at any sacrifice rather than keep it till spring. Take all 
possible care of those which are kept, so that no point of detail, nothing 
affecting health or comfort, is neglected. Most disgraceful is the con¬ 
dition of many cows in spring after being wintered in Btalls and 
suffered to lie down in filth till their coats are clotted with it. 
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. 
a 
*C8 
1892. 
November. 
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 .. 
6 
29-888 
50-2 
49-0 
S. 
47-1 
56-6 
45-6 
80-0 
38 6 
0'040 
Monday .. 
7 
30-158 
36-1 
36-1 
N.W. 
46-7 
50-6 
35-2 
71-0 
29-9 
— 
Tuesday .. 
8 
30-361 
37-9 
379 
N.E. 
45-6 
46-3 
35-9 
47-9 
3b‘U 
— 
W ednesday 
9 
30-229 
46-1 
45-2 
N.E. 
45-0 
49-7 
37-4 
51-2 
34*4 
— 
Thursday.. 
10 
30-183 
43-6 
43-6 
N.E. 
45-2 
46-4 
41-7 
46-4 
351 
— 
Friday 
11 
30-166 
443 
44-2 
N.E. 
44-9 
49-1 
394 
50-1 
32 9 
0"055. 
Saturday .. 
12 
30-023 
46-9 
46-8 
N.E. 
45-3 
530 
44-1 
55-3 
44-7 
U*036 
30-144 
43-6 
433 
45-7 
50-2 
39-9 
57-4 
35 8 
0-130 
REMARKS. 
6th. —Rain early and at 10.30 A.M. ; generally sunny after 11 A.M. 
7th.—Misty early; bright sunshine from 9.30 A.M. ; foggy towards sunset and in the 
evening. 
8th.—Fog more or less all day : generally dense in morning, very slight after 4 p.m. 
9th.—Slight fog till about 10 A M., overcast after. 
10th—Fog more or less all day ; dense at times in the morning. 
11th.—Overcast throughout. 
12th.—Clear at times, but very dark, with high fog from 1C to 11 A.M., and 1.3Q 
to 3 P.M. 
A dull and foggy week with little range of temperature.—G. J. SyMONS. 
