22 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 3, 1895, 
occupation? Without hesitation do we answer Yes! and in 
doing so we give full recognition to the gravity of the situation; 
to the difficulties which have grown up—are still growing; to 
the radical change which is bound to come both in farm 
management and in the sale of farm produce. 
There are two things especially on which safe farming in 
the present and future depends — i.e., individual effort and 
general combination. With judicious change on the firm there 
must be co-operation of farmers. By all means let us have an 
equitable adjustment of railway rates and relief from the 
burden of taxation now on the land, but do not let us regard 
either form of relief as a primary remedy for depression. If we 
get either, or both, corn will still be cheap, foreign produce of 
all kinds will continue to pour in upon us. We hold that 
throughout the struggle with adversity to which so many 
worthy farmers have succumbed, the common mistake has been 
looking without rather than within for a remedy. Let us look 
the situation squarely in the face, endeavour to grasp its full 
significance, and then set ourselves to see what the remedy is 
and how to apply it. 
To take Wheat, how can any farmer expect it to answer 
under ordinary conditions now ? Recent computations show 
that at the present time there are two and one fifth million 
quarters of Wheat in the United States of America, and over 
seven million quarters of Wheat in the Argentine Confedera¬ 
tion, from whence it is said that Wheat could be imported and 
sold at a profit in this country at 12s. a quarter. But, then, it 
is not a question of the Wheat produce of one or two countries. 
Take the market report of any week, or, to be more definite, of 
a fortnight ago, and we have 1,225,000 quarters from United 
States Pacific ports, 240,000 quarters from Russia, 
232,000 quarters from United States Atlantic ports, 
230,000 quarters from Australia and New Zealand, 
190,000 quarters from the Argentine Conferation, 91,000 quarters 
from India, and 60,000 quarters from Chili. How, we ask, in 
the face of such facts, dare we venture to sow Wheat unless we 
have an exceptionally good market for Wheat straw ? 
Many a shrewd man is turning the low price of corn and 
feeding stuff generally to account for his stock in this way :— 
Very much of the land once devoted to Wheat is now in 
temporary pasture, only enough of it being ploughed for home 
requirements in the way of roots. Cabbage, Kale, green Maize, 
Oats, Rye, Vetches, and perhaps a few acres of Peas. Then 
by rearing only really well bred stock in which early maturity 
is a certainty, by the exercise of proper care in feeding and 
general management, and by the judicious purchase and use of 
a wholesome dietary of mixed food, the stock is sold at a profit. 
We have heard much talk about the low price of beef at the 
great Christmas Fair at Islington on December 17th, but 
having regard to the exceptional cheapness of food for fattening 
cattle we see no just cause of complaint. Compared with the 
great Christmas Fair of 1893 there was a falling off of a 
farthing a pound in the lowest quotation and Id. a pound 
in the highest. Again we say, Rear only good stock, buy 
sound corn at the lowest wholesale rates, feed well, shelter 
well, keep on the calf flesh, for depend upon it there’s money 
in it. 
We have heard quite enough about cheap corn and bank¬ 
ruptcy ; let us fee if we cannot render 1895 remarkable for 
cheap corn and prosperity. There is quite enough foreign 
competition in our markets to keep down prices; be ours the 
endeavour to take full advantage of such prices for our cows, 
cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry. Only all must be good ; there 
must be no inferior animals of any sort upon the holding 
where safe farm’ng is to prevail. It costs no more—nay, it 
does not cost so much to feed well bred stock as it does inferior 
animals. There is a sure market, too, for spring chickens, for 
winter eggs, for prime porkers, for first-class cheese and 
butter. For the latter we must have co-operative factories 
anything like the uniform quality of Daaish butter cannot 
be had from the ordinary farm dairy. The fact that we pay 
something like £12,000,000 a year for imported butter ought 
to be an incentive to reform that is so possible and so certain 
in its results. We pay to Denmark alone about a third of 
that amount, with another million for bacon and £400,000 for 
eggs. Such a rad cal change as we aim at cannot be effected 
in a year, but much may be done. Where shall we begin ? 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
For farm work to go well and smoothly there must be some really 
skilful labourers, and in order to retain such men there must always be 
work for them. At midwinter there is some difficulty about this, and 
our old Suffolk friend who fills his barns with corn for the men to 
thresh with flails when they cannot work upon the land in winter, 
may be thought to be behind the times in this matter, but he assures us 
it cost no more than the threshing machine, and it enables him to keep 
his men upon the farm. We are entirely in sympathy with him in this 
matter, and we should be even if the outlay involved something beyond 
the cost of hiring and using the threshing machine. We have recently 
had a shelter hovel built over the horse gear of a tenant which he had 
in daily use for cutting chaff and roots and pumping water. In the 
provision of all reasonable shelter, of field gates, and of help with 
fencing, a landlord is wise to assist his tenants, also in the matter of 
draining. In connection with what we have said about the wisdom 
of allowing the men to thresh corn stored in barns with flails, we may 
mention the cost of threshing by steam, winnowing, measuring, and 
placing in sacks is Is. lOd. per quarter, and men with flails ought to 
earn a fair wage at something like this price. 
See now that all farm tools, implements and vehicles are examined 
and put into a thorough state of repair. Now is the time to have 
repairs of mowing and tedding machines done—not just before hay¬ 
making begins. A coat or two of paint on waggons and carts is a 
preservative and prevents decay. Keep also a sharp outlook upon gate 
fastenings and farm buildings, have little faults and blemishes seen to 
at once, make it part of good management to keep everything in 
repair, and have good order and neatness maintained everywhere, but 
especially at the homestead. Estate artizans cannot often be spared 
for the home farm, and it is well to have a handy man able to do 
trifling repairs, to tar iron fencing and woodwork, or to paint if need be. 
Experiments on Permanent Pasture. — An interesting report 
has just been issued giving the results of experiments on permanent 
pasture carried out by Mr. F. J. Lloyd, F. C.S., on behalf of the South- 
Eastern College, in connection with the Kent and Surrey County Councils. 
The object of the experiments was to discover what constituents the 
light soil of the farm was most deficient in, and what manures could 
with most advantage be applied to supply the deficiency. The report 
contains an exhaustive account of both experiments and results, and 
is well worth careful perusal by grass land farmers. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamden Square, London. 
Lat.51° 32'40" N.; Lon?. 0° 8' 0" W.: Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
In the Day. 
i 
oS 
P4 
1894. 
December. 
1 Barometer 
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. 
leg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Inchs 
Sunday .. 23 
30-237 
36-4 
35 7 
N.W. 
41 8 
48-2 
34-9 
54-2 
308 
o-oso- 
Monday .. 24 
30124 
47-7 
47-3 
S. 
41-9 
49-7 
35-9 
63-8 
32-2 
0-026 
Tuesday ., 25 
30-472 
47-3 
46-1 
N. 
43-3 
48-6 
46-1 
60 6 
43-2 
Wednesday 26 
30-546 
46 2 
45 6 
W. 
43’8 
47-8 
450 
49-7 
42-8 
0-0»8 
Thursday .. 27 
30-636 
35*9 
34-7 
N.B. 
43-8 
14-2 
34-2 
61-4 
29-4 
— 
Friday .. 2 i 
30-529 
33-3 
32-2 
W. 
41-2 
46-8 
30 0 
47 9 
26-1 
0-040. 
Saturday .. 29 
29-411 
38-2 
35-2 
W. 
41-2 
42-8 
32 6 
59-1 
32-2 
0-048 
30 279 
40-7 
39-5 
42-4 
45-9 
37-0 
53-8 
33 8 
0-251 
REMARKS. 
23rd.—Bright sunshine all morning ; fair afternoon ; milder in evening, with rain from 
about 8 P.M. to midnight. 
24th.—Dull all day, and generally drizzly. 
25th.—Mild and dull throughout. 
26th.—Overcast all day ; showers in evening. 
27th.—Almost cloudless throughout 
28th.—Slight fog early ; frequent sunshine from 10.30 A.M. to noon; cloudy afternooir, 
with high wind; gale and slight rain at night. 
29th.—Showers early ; bright sunshine from sunrise to noon, then rain squall and 
alternate cloud and sunshine after; showers in evening. 
Temperature still above the average, but rather cooler than the previous week. 
—G. J. Symons. 
