194 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 8, 1894 
PROTECTION. 
“I’d Laye a moderate tax upon imported flour; bread is so 
cheap now that even the poorest people are wasteful. Make 
’em pay a fair price for it ; there would soon be an end of waste, 
and we who grow the Wheat should have a chance again ! ” So 
said to us recently a typical British farmer, who, in his capacity 
of village innkeeper, farmer, brewer, and guardian of the poor, 
sees much of the economy of humble life, has strong views 
thereupon — views which are not altogether unbiassed. He is 
probably right in some degree about the waste; the French 
proverb, “ Provision—profusion,” holds good the world over, 
but he longs in vain for such a measure of protection as we 
told him in answer to an appeal for our views on the subject. 
There is, however, a form of protection within our gates 
which IS both desirable and possible—protection against 
adulteration of food, of shams and cheating—that seething 
undercurrent of trade rascality which saps the very vitals of 
fair trade and honest dealing. One of the very worst forms 
of this is the mixing of separated milk with new milk on so 
extensive a scale as to seriously affect the interests of, and to 
throw another burden upon the producer. At meeting after 
meeting of the Central Association of Dairy Farmers has this 
evil been discussed, and resolutions been passed appealing to 
the Legislature for aid. Strangely enough, so far, such appeals 
have been made in vain. To the resolution, “ That in con¬ 
sequence of the great injustice and loss sustained by milk 
producers and consumers by the mixing of separated milk 
with new, and the sale of the mixture as new milk, we petition 
the Government to pass an Act making it compulsory that 
every vessel containing a gallon or more of separated milk, 
should be labelled with 2-inch letters ‘Separated,’ &c.,” the 
reply sent from the Board of Agriculture was :—“ I am 
directed by the Board of Agriculture to inform you that the 
resolution referred to in your letter has been communicated 
to the Local Government Board, to the business of which 
department it especially relates.” 
The Local Government Board state that they ai-e not aware 
of the necessity for any such special statutory provision with 
regard to separated milk as is suggested, but they think that 
the question is one which will doubtless be brought before any 
Select Committee to which proposed amendments of the Sale of 
Food and Drugs Act may be hereafter referred.- Such answers 
are of the true circumlocutory official type, and are only to be 
met by persistent and combined effort by the Royal and other 
agricultural societies. If this is done legislation will follow in 
due course, as this is not a mere matter of trade interests, but 
one which affects the public. i 
As M>-. A. Robinson, of the Belgravia Dairy Company, points 
out, whole milk contains 87 per cent, of water, which in the 
separated milk is left conveniently white through retention of 
casein, which is the putrifying (offal) constituent of milk, as 
well as of badly made butter. Mr. Robinson suggests a system 
of taxing and licensing the use of separators and of registering 
the premises where they are used. Consumers might well look 
to their own interest? in the matter, for what with annatto, 
starch, and separated milk, to say nothing of water pure and 
simple, purity in milk has become a very doubtful quantity. 
Dealers say that the ordinary London consumer objects to milk 
which has not been touched up with annatto to impart the 
‘ rich ■’ yellow so dear to cockney eyes. Dear, innocent souls ! 
i 
They have heard that the best cream is yellow, and they like to 
see it in their milk. 
Equally in the interest of the consumer as well as of the 
producer is it also important that the sale of foreign meat should 
be checked so closely as to prevent the wholesale substitution of 
it for the best home-fed beef and mutton, which was exposed in 
the recent report of Lord Onslow's Committee. Here protection 
is so obviously required that we should much like to know if action 
of any sort has been taken in the matter. We would have the 
names of every one of the rascally swindlers made so public that 
they might be avoided, and any fine imposed upon them should 
be sufficiently heavy to affect their long purses The British 
farmer is sufficiently burdened without being robbed of his trade 
in this or in any unfair way, and he has a just claim upon the 
Legislature for protection from dishonest dealers. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Now that hens are laying so freely plenty of eggs can be spared for 
hatching, and enough chickens should be reared during the next few 
weeks both for table supply and for affording a full supply of autumn 
and winter eggs. Allow an ample margin in numbers for both pur¬ 
poses ; a few dozen extra chickens can always be sold readily enough 
when not wanted, and a surplus of eggs in winter is something pleasant 
to look forward to, as a thing that would well repay one for using a little 
extra corn. Feed young broods frequently, but have no food thrown 
about wastefully, or where wild birds can come, or there will be a lot 
of sparrows always on the watch. Sussex breeders of earlybirds feed 
by lamplight morning and night, and are well repaid for their care. 
Move the eoops frequently, have a feeding board in front of each coop 
so made that it can be turned up over the front of the coop at night and 
fastened so closely as to prevent losses from rats, foxes, or other vermin. 
This is just one of those trifling matters of detail of which dear bought 
experience has shown the importance. It was the loss of some eighty 
chickens at an off-hand farm, several years ago, that showed how 
necessary it was to go carefully over every little matter to see that 
nothing was wanting to ensure success, and then to require it at the 
hands of whoever was responsible. 
Ewes and lambs are now folded upon Swedes which have a capital 
growth of green tops for the lambs to run forward upon, for the 
Swedes are sound and without a blemish. Dock the lambs early, 
and look closely after foot-rot if it is known to affect the flock. Long 
ago, before the trials by the Royal Agricultural Society, we had 
proof that it was infectious, and never since have we suffered a clean 
flock to go near an infected one. “ Kneelers ” in a flock— i.e., those 
sheep with such sore feet that they kneel to feed, are a disgrace to the 
shepherd, and are almost invariably an indication of negligence. 
Remove every badly affected sheep from the flock, examine and dress 
the feet daily, and they will soon be sound. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Fickle for Hams (J. W. D.).—The recipe to which you refer is for 
hams only, not for bacon. This pickle is not boiled before use, but that 
given subsequently for bacon is boiled. Give the hams a full month in 
the pickle, turn them frequently, give equal care to the smoking, and the 
flavour will be delicious. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamdbn Squarb, London. 
Lat.51° 32' 40" N.: Louar. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude. Ill feet 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
In the Day. 
& 
1894. 
February and 
March. 
1 Barometer 
1 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. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Inchs. 
Sunday .. 
25 
29-828 
42-3 
40-0 
E. 
36-3 
52-8 
32*8 
53-9 
27-1 
0-101 
Monday .. 
26 
2-(•767 
50-3 
48-1 
s* 
38-1 
53-0 
41-9 
55-9 
40-0 
0-024 
Tuesday .. 
27 
29-836 
49-9 
48-3 
S.W. 
40-1 
54-6 
49-1 
91-1 
44-1 
0-090 
Wednesday 
28 
29*916 
38-7 
37-8 
N.E. 
40*8 
47-3 
37-7 
67-2 
32*1 
0-149 
Thursday.. 
1 
29-942 
47*1 
43-7 
S.W. 
40-1 
48-8 
35-2 
68*0 
28-8 
0-124 
Friday 
2 
30-06-6 
40-1 
33-1 
W. 
40*6 
51-8 
36-3 
93*1 
29-0 
— 
Saturday .. 
3 
30-238 
33-8 
32-3 
N. 
39 9 
50*0 
28-6 
80-1 
22*2 
— 
29-942 
43-2 
41*2 
39-4 
51-2 
37-4 
72-8 
31-9 
0-488 
REMARKS. 
26th.—Overcast early with spots of rain ; rain from noon to 2 r.M., and overcast after. 
26th.—Fair early ; overcast from 9 A.M. with occasional drizzle, and drizzle or rain all 
afternoon. 
27th.—Overcast and damp early : rain from 10 A.M. to 11.30 A.M.; bright sunshine from 
noon to sunset, and bright night. 
28th.—Almost continuous rain from 6.30 A.M. to noon ; fine and frequently sunny from 
1 r.M., and clear night. 
1st.—Fair morning; freqnent slight rain after noon, and almost incessant rain from 
3.'i0 P.M. to 10.80 r.M. 
2nd.—Bright sun throughout. 
3rd.—Foggy early ; bright sun from 10 A.M.; bright night. 
As a whole dull and rainy, but the last two days sunny. Temperature 10° above 
I that of the preceding week, and about 4° above the average.—Gr. J. Symons. 
