4 30 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ November 10, 1892. 
such importance that it is much discussed, opinions being 
freely forthcom ng which are frequently the reverse of flattering 
to either class. That both have special and novel duties arising 
out of the changing conditions of land tenure, of the product on 
and sale of farm produce, and, above all things, of foreign com¬ 
petition, there can be no doubt, and the sooner the nature of 
such duties anl the best means of discharging them are fully 
understood, the sooner shall we see prosperity restored to 
agriculture. To continue striving to farm upon old lines in the 
face of the altered condition of things is utter folly ; where it is 
done the struggle for bare subsistence, after “ making the rent,” 
is so severe that it is of itself enough to make those engaged in 
it consider if other and better means are not available. It is 
surely not for want of advice or discussion that farmers generally 
cannot do better ; the difficulty seems to be to decide upon a 
definite course wherein improvement is clearly possible, and 
then to act with decision. With straitened means and falling 
prices farmers dare not venture upon speculative efforts to 
improve the r condition. They must turn to something where 
fair promts have been proved to be possible, and so in changing 
reduce tie risk of loss to a minimum. 
We have repeatedly urged upon them the importance of co¬ 
operation in such a manner that it should not affect any 
individual at tbe expense of others. When a body of men 
combine together character always tells, the best men invariably 
come to the front ; therefore sny co-operative Bcheme must be 
arranged upon such a footing that there shill be no hard measure 
dealt out to the inferior men. In dairy co-operation, to which 
we have several t m°s called attention, everything is perfectly 
fair, and the entire scheme is within ordinary comprehension. 
To begin with, the shares of a co-operative company are £1 per 
cow, not paid all at once, but in response to calls of two or three 
shillings, as money is required for preliminary expenses, such as 
buildings, machinery, and general plint. The milk of each 
shareholder is tested periodically for quality, and is paid for 
accordingly, so that individually the shareholders are treated 
with perfect fairness, both for produce supplied and also in 
sharing the profits. 
In an able paper read recently before the Chester Farmers’ 
Club, Mr. C. W. Dutton placed espechl stress upon the necessity 
for improved dairy accommodation. He said—“I am afraid 
bad dairies have more to do with bad flavoured cheese than 
anything else, the loss upon which to farmers is enormous, for 
it is principally the indifferent flavoured cheese that feels the 
foreign competition. It is of no use the dairy institutes teaching 
howto m ke finest cheese with every convenience if the scholar 
is to go home and try to make the same quality without the 
same appliances, for he will utterly fail.” Upon the face of 
things it would appear futile to ask landlords for improved 
dairies, but it must not be forgotten that the rent of dairy 
farms has not been reduced in anything like the same ratio as 
that of corn farms, and tenants have fair reason to ask and expect 
to have such help from landlords. It is in districts where aid of 
this sort is not forthcoming that co-operative factories both for 
cheese and butter would prove such a boon, and their establish¬ 
ment in considerable numbers is highly des'rable. Of course 
there is a limit to such extension of dairy farming, and wher 
ever mixed farming is possible it should be fully carried out. 
Our mistake m the past has been in extremes ; let us apply the 
lesson now, and wherever it is possible so bring our land under 
different crops, or a system of management which competition 
in any particular thing cannot affect seriously. Farming is 
now a stern struggle with adversity, and it is only the best 
practice that can answer. Men are wont to talk of luck and 
chance; depend upon it none of these things have anything 
to do with ordinary success. No sensible man is misled by 
a^ingle fortunate transaction in business; that is altogether 
apfirt from the general questi n. 
Again, we say to tenant far me s, Keep well within the scope 
of your means ; avoid extremes; keep a strict guard upon 
expenditure; do what you undertake thoroughly both in land 
cultivation and live stock management, aud above all things let 
your eye and hand be felt everywhere upon the farm. The man 
who sets himself earnestly to struggle with hard times, who- 
will not give in, who sees nor feels no shame, no degradation in 
using every faculty both of mind and body to support himself 
and his family, will be on the alert to seize every fair means 
to attain his end, will have no silly prejudice against change 
and improvement, and he will command the respect and admira¬ 
tion of every good man and true. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Among other work of improvement the re-arrangement of holdings 
and the division of very large meadows is now being done. Such 
enclosures, if of any size, ranging from six to a dozen acres, are far more 
useful than very large meadows. Live stock often require a decided 
change ; grazing, too, is altogether better managed when enclosures are 
of moderate size. In this matter, while paying due heed to tenants’ 
requests, general estate improvement is kept fully in view, mere fanciful 
changes being quietly ignored. We have several farms on both sides of 
a wide valley ; two of them run from the top of the slopes right down 
to the stream which runs through the valley. These are the most satis¬ 
factory farms, and we are gradually bringing others into the same form. 
The main difficulty in this matter is a central position for each house 
and homestead, and suitable cattle shelter upon outlying land. Tenants 
have been allowed to hire so many detached meadows that at length 
complaints have been made of the difficulty of overlooking them, and a 
change is being effected in the direction of compactness of holdings. 
This is not so difficult as might appear, for unfortunately there is not 
a Michaelmas without some change or warning of change among tenants, 
and the landlord who really cares for his tenants and feels an interest 
in his property is frequently in earnest consultation with his agent as to 
the best means of meeting the changed conditions of the ownership and 
management of landed property. 
Water is always an important factor in meadow divisions ; this 
should be remembered in draining land, all superfluous water being 
stored in ponds or pools at the most convenient points, and overflow 
conducted to another meadow if possible. A long wide gentle slope 
into such pools for cattle to drink answers best, and it should be 
hardened with gravel, so as to prevent any accumulation of mud, or 
difficulty of approach in winter. This is just one of those trifling 
matters of detail worthy of attention at first, so that a really sound 
permanent job may be made of it, and subsequent trouble avoided. It 
is one of the things which go to render a farm desirable in the eyes of 
a prospective tenant, who is very keen to note wants and failings in his 
inspection of vacant farms, and this is precisely one of the things he 
must have. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Kerry Cattle ( Hoping ).—We know of no pamphlet devoted to 
these useful little animals. If you have access to a public library you 
may find illustrations and particulars of them in Stephens’ “ Book of 
the Farm,” or other modern works in which farm stock are treated. 
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. 
Rain. 
1892. 
October 
and 
November. 
<U C3 > 
O 
-u> CD 
M oS oq 
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 .. 
30 
29-730 
45-9 
44-8 
N.E. 
48-0 
54-9 
41-5 
75-2 
34 3 
1-111 
Monday .. 
31 
29-602 
45-0 
45-0 
N. 
47 '2 
46-3 
44-9 
50-9 
42-5 
0-020 
Tuesday .. 
1 
29-845 
443 
42-3 
N. 
48-9 
49-3 
42-3 
57-0 
41-9 
_ 
W ednesday 
2 
29-868 
36-0 
36-0 
N.E. 
45-2 
52-1 
30-8 
58-0 
25-6 
0157 
Thursday.. 
S 
29-682 
■ 50-7 
49-8 
W. 
453 
57-1 
35-4 
86-8 
341 
_ 
Friday 
4 
29-903 
533 
52-1 
S.E. 
45-8 
58-8 
44 4 
78-9 
36 4 
0-157 
Saturday .. 
5 
29-915 
54-2 
52-9 
S.E. 
47-3 
57-5 
51-0 
60-8 
45-6 
0-268 
29-792 
47*1 
46-1 
46-5 
537 
41-5 
66-8 
37-2 
1-713 
REMARKS. 
30th.—Sunny throughout; solar halo in morning; steady heavy rain from 8.30 p.m. 
to 9.30 A.M. on 31st. 
31st.—Continuous rain till S A.M. ; overcast and damp all day. 
1st.—Fine, but sunless day ; bright moonlight night. 
2nd.—Dense fog till about 11 A.M. clearing slowly, and occasional sun from 1 p.m. to 
3 P.M., then spots of rain and wet from 6‘30 P.M. to 9 p.m. 
3rd.—Bright sunshine almost throughout. 
4th. Overcast early, a little sunshine between 10 A.M. and noon ; then cloudy again 
and wet after 3.30 p.m. 
5th.—Overcast morning, sunny afternoon ; very wet from 7.33 P.M. to 11 p.m. 
A warmer aud very wet week.—G. J. Symons. 
