572 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 27,189S>. 
PROGRESSIVE AGRICULTURE. 
Amidst all the doubt and diflSculty arising from an agri¬ 
cultural depression of an intensity and duration greater than 
has probably ever been known before, the steady progress of 
technical instruction under the fostering influence of County 
Councils is an encouraging sign, an indication of the recognition 
of a want, as well as of the possibility of doing better in 
the future than we have in the past, by the acquisition of 
that exact knowledge which a scientific training alone can 
give. 
A short time ago we called attention to the opening of a 
new agricultural college at Wye for students from some 
southern counties. We have now a similar duty to perform 
in connection with the Midland Dairy Institute at Kingston 
Fields, in Nottinghamshire, which, as the prospectus sets forth, 
“ Is in connection with the County Councils of Derbyshire, 
Leicestershire, Lindsey Division of Lincolnshire, Nottingham¬ 
shire, and with the Agricultural Department of the University 
College of Nottingham.” Cur readers have had some indica¬ 
tion of the exceptional abilities of Mr. J. R. Dunstan, head 
of the Agricultural Department of the College, in our articles 
upon his pamphlet on Dairying in Denmark, and his connec¬ 
tion with the Institute may be taken as a guarantee of good 
work and a thorough training of the students. 
We have been over the farm, and consider it to be 
admirably adapted to the requirements of such an institution, 
in regard to which the prospectus shows that it is situated in 
the south-west corner of Nottinghamshire, within a few miles 
of the boundaries of that county and the adjacent counties 
of Derbyshire and Leicestershire. Its position for the Mid¬ 
lands is therefore central, and it is close to the finest dairy 
land of the kingdom, and to the home of Stilton cheese 
making. The farm of 160 acres consists of about 100 acres 
of pasture, the remainder being arable land varying from a 
light soil to heavy clay, thus affording students lessons in 
the cultivation of pasture, and in the management of both 
heavy and light land. 
The main object of the Institute is to provide a thoroughly 
practical course of instruction in dairying, combined with such 
scientific instruction as is found necessary to explain the 
principles on which the practice depends. The production of 
milk, and the causes influencing such production, milking, 
treatment of milk for transit, methods of creaming, separating, 
butter-making, with the best methods of packing and marketing, 
will be taught, and students will be expected to spend the 
greater part of the day in the actual practical work; whilst in 
cheese-making practical and theoretical instruction will be given 
in the manufacture of soft cheese, and of the various kinds of 
English cheese—Cheddar, Stilton, Derby, Leicester, Trentside, 
and Cheshire ; and of the foreign varieties Gorgonzola, Brie, 
Camebert, Gruyere, and Edam, accurate records of all work 
done being kept by the students. Thus the aim is not only to 
teach the students how to make the best kinds of English cheese 
in the best way, and so command a better market for home 
produce, but also to carry the war into the enemy’s country by 
teaching them how to rival the foreign producer in making the 
most popular sorts of cheese now imported to his benefif, and 
our serious loss. Mr. John Benson, late manager of the British 
Dairy Institute at Aylesbury, will be the chief instructor in 
dairying. 
The scope of the work is wide and comprehensive. Thus in 
Class A a six-weeks course is open to farmers, their wives, sons, 
daughters or dairymaids, and others requiring practical 
instruction in hard and soft cheese (not more than two kinds), 
and butter-making, in the general management of cows, and of 
a small dairy. Class B offers a three-months course for those 
requiring a commercial knowledge of dairying or factory 
management, such as dairymen in a large way of business, 
factory managers, and intending colonists. 
There are four other classes, each having its special object 
the entire scheme being evidently an outcome of most careful 
deliberation; for it is one of the best combinations of science 
with practice that we have ever seen. We may add that the 
fees for instruction are low, and the premises comprise 
thoroughly equipped dairy buildings specially designed for the 
work. Farmers and dairymen in the district are offered advice 
free of charge at the Institute, which bids fair to prove a great 
boon, a real help in time of need to Midland dairy farmers. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Haymaking is being pushed on while the weather continues fine and 
fairly settled. Some of the hay crop on land which came in hand at 
Lady Day is backward, but we have decided to mow all that ia a fair 
crop, while the herbage is at its best and the hay can be made quickly, 
rather than wait for more growth. What hay is made will be of the 
best, and the aftermath will be available for grazing. To wait for a 
full crop involves a serious loss of quality in the first growth, a risk of 
broken weather and inferior hay costing much more to save than the 
best early hay. 
Clover hay has also been got into rick in capital condition, some of 
it being a rather light crop ; but the mixed seeds and Rye Grass are a 
heavy crop, requiring much caution in stacking. We like substantial 
stacks of good width, and guard against overheating by having one or 
two air shafts from bottom to top of each stack.by drawing up with the 
building a sack stuffed with straw. The sack is taken out of the shaft 
at night to give vent to any vapour generated by rapid heating. Such 
shafts are really simple and efficient safety valves, preventing both 
discolouration and spontaneous combustion. By all'means use rick 
cloths, but in fine weather have them off the rick early in the morning, 
in order to have the top dry before carting begins again. 
The steam cultivator has been kept going to such good purpose thats 
all our foul land has been gone over twice, Charlock destroyed, and 
much of the Couch Grass got out and burnt. With a set of steam 
tackle available now and during harvest foul land and stubble cleaning 
can be got on with while the horses are all required for carting 
and mowing. On the score both of economy and efficiency it answers 
to hire the tackle. We get our arable land done twice over at a cost of 
lOs. an acre, we finding coal and carting water. This insures clean 
land, a deep tilth, and by keeping the work well in hand thorough 
autumn tillage, and though last certainly not the least, economy in 
horses, only enough being required for carting and implements. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamdkn Squarb, London. 
Lat.51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
In the Day. 
.9 
*3 
1895. 
June. 
Barometer 
1 at 32°, and 
I 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. 
Inohs. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Inche. 
Sunday ,. 
16 
30-106 
60-7 
60-2 
N. 
60-0 
73-6 
46-0 
116-9 
40-4 
— 
Monday .. 
17 
29-941 
69-0 
52-1 
N. 
60-9 
68-6 
46-1 
116-4 
37-1 
— 
Tuesday .. 
18 
29763 
61-2 
53-7 
N.W. 
60-1 
75-1 
43-9 
120-7 
36-9 
0-200 
Wednesday 
19 
29-690 
64-7 
53-2 
N. 
61*1 
68-8 
51-2 
104-9 
4S-6 
— 
Thursday.. 
20 
29-964 
60-8 
54-9 
N.W. 
60 0 
74-1 
47-7 
122-2 
42-6 
— 
Friday 
21 
30-289 
65-0 
52-4 
N.W. 
61-1 
74-9 
47-1 
125-9 
38 6 
— 
Saturday .. 
22 
30-364 
61-8 
69-3 
N.W. 
61 9 
77-4 
58-1 
122-0 
53-7 
— 
30-017 
60-5 
63-7 
60-7 
73-2 
48-6 
118-4 
42-6 
0-200 
REMARKS. 
16tb.—Bright sunshine and pleasant breeze. 
17th.—Bright sunshine in morning, generally cloudy in afternoon. 
18th.—Hazy and cloudy at times, but generally sunny. 
19th.—Rain from 2 A.M. to 9 A.M., overcast with frequent spots of rain till nooB , 
occasional sunshine in afternoon. 
20th.—Bright sunshine almost throughout. 
21st.—Bright sunny morning, frequently cloudy in afternoon. 
22nd.— Overcast morning; sunny and rather oppressive in afternoon, 
A very fine week, with only one day’s rain.—G. J. SXMONS. 
