334 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 26, 1894. 
MIXED FARMING. 
Now that attention is fully aroused to the importance and 
true value of mixed farming, and action is being taken to 
correct the faulty practice of extremes, it will be well for every 
aspect of it to be discussed so far as is possible. We cannot 
hope to meet every case, but taken bi’oadly it may be said to 
consist of the production of crop and stock upon which a 
reasonable profit is known to be possible, and of all or most of 
the food required for the farmers’ household, and for the 
economic sustenance of the whole of his live stock. The term 
of economic sustenance is of wide significance, embracing all 
food, green and dry ; timely cropping, abundance without waste, 
judicious feeding, profitable farming. It goes still farther, and 
points to live stock well nourished from birth to maturity, from 
purchase to sale, and a total avoidance of that wretched system 
of alternate short commons and repletion, under the strain of 
which so many animals die outright, or if they live fail to afford 
anything like a profit. 
For small farms there are many ways of turning the land to 
account. One of the best seen last year was in the Midlands, 
It was an upland farm so well managed that the hay crop was 
really a good one, and the aftermath abundant, showing clearly 
that the permanent pasture was really cultivated, and the 
fertility of its soil well sustained. That this was the case 
generally on the farm was evident, crops on the arable land all 
being excellent. They consisted of Oats, Swedes, Mangolds, 
Cabbage, Kale, Carrots, and Potatoes, so weU apportioned as to 
afford pleasing evidence of a well-considered plan, the only 
fault being in the distance of the Cabbage and Kale from the 
place of consumption—a trifle we admit, but still worthy of 
attention. Life is made up of trifles, time itself of moments. 
Subsequently we saw at Mr. Robert Fenn’s (the famous 
raiser of so many of the best sorts of Potatoes) at Sulhamp- 
stead some grass land with a wide margin of arable land, on 
which were crops for consumption by stock grazing on the 
pasture. The plan is an admirable one. Think what a boon a 
crop of Green Maize in such a position would be when pasture 
herbage runs short in August or September, as it so frequently 
does; or a patch of Lucerne in such a trying time as we had 
last midsummer. In late autumn or early winter, too, when 
cows and store cattle are withdrawn from pasture to the yards, 
sheepfolds might be kept going on the pastui'e by using roots. 
Cabbage, or Kale grown close by, and so enrich the pasture for 
another season. We need not enumerate more crops for such a 
position, what to grow is altogether a matter of expediency; 
but we are certain that very much more may be done in this 
way on many a farm than has been done. To ask a dairy farmer 
who has all his land under permanent pasture to grow his own 
corn even may seem a bold thing. We do so entirely in his 
interest; we go farther, and say positively that if, in addition 
to corn, he would have such fodder crops as would answer with 
him, as well as some roots, the common necessity for agistment 
of cattle would cease altogether. More—much more than this, 
he would be able to make due provision of food for winter; his 
stock would be better nourished, and he would avoid losses of 
animals, the cause ot which is mainly owing to low diet and 
improper foods. 
But, we are told, if land is so broken up it will absorb so 
much manure that the pasture will suffer. Does not pasture 
suffer now P Is there any systematic use of manure upon it 
beyond the mere excreta of such cattle and sheep as are turned 
out to graze upon it? Can any reasonable person suppose that 
to be sufficient to bring a full crop of hay—a full bite of 
herbage? We hold that very many dairy farmers would be 
much more prosperous if their holdings were reduced by one- 
third, or even one-half, if only they could be induced to thoroughly 
cultivate the remainder thoroughly. We have no faith in the 
popular cry for small holdings as a panacea for hard times, but 
we are convinced that the only holdings of any size that can be 
made to answer are those which are well within the scope of the 
tenants’ means, and which are in the hands of men who possess 
the requisite capacity to apply such means wisely and well. 
This is high farming of the right sort; sound and thorough, it 
covets nothing like notoriety, but simply aims at good work 
well done, full crops, well nourished stock, judicious manage¬ 
ment, and, above all things, a fair profit from every l od of land 
upon the holding. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
He was a wise man who last autumn sold some of his cows in order 
to obtain enough money to buy food for the others. It is always better 
to feed a few cows well than many badly. Unfortunately so many have 
been fed badly for many months that more losses among them are 
inevitable this spring, a full bite of young grass causing so much scour 
that the weaker animals succumb to a strain too severe for their 
enfeebled bodies. We have heard of several ewes dying from exhaustion, 
as well as cows and store beasts. All this is outside sound practice we 
are aware, but it must not be passed over for such a reason. The men 
who have such losses are mostly tenant farmers who ought to know 
better. 
Green food is now abundant. Rye is in full cut, and is also being 
folded. Where it is only wanted for sheepfolds the folding must be 
pushed on, as the season is so forward that Rye will soon be in ear. A 
second growth may be had if required, either for green fodder or to 
harvest in view of seed corn and straw for sale. This depends upon our 
cropping scheme. With the abundance of green food now ready it will 
probably answer best to plough in the Rye after the first folds are off 
in view of a more useful autumn crop of Turnips, Cabbage, Kale, or an 
earlier crop of Green Maize. Look forward, consider ways and means, 
bear in mind the frequency of drought and bare pasture in autumn. 
Rather let the effects of bad seasons influence the cropping than those 
of good ones. By thus being ready for an emergency we always have 
enough food, often too much. We cannot too strongly insist upon th.e 
importance of this : a surplus of food, but never a surplus of live stock 
over food supply. This is a matter wherein graziers require protection 
against themselves in the guise of Government supervision. The cruelty 
to which underfed cattle are subjected is a scandal and shame, with 
which the Board of Agriculture would do well to grapple. Shelter, 
food, and numbers all demand attention now in view of having such 
matters upon a sound footing before another autumn, and of giving 
immediate attention to the provision of enough food by cropping now. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamdbn Square, Londoit. 
Lat.Sl® 32'40" N.; Long. 0® 8' 0" W.: Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
In the Day. 
d 
'3 
1894. 
April. 
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 .. 
15 
29-777 
53-5 
51-0 
S.E. 
50-1 
62-0 
48-5 
108 6 
43-8 
0-162 
Monday .. 
16 
29-415 
49 6 
46-8 
S. 
50-1 
55-0 
47-1 
85-3 
40-3 
0-060 
Tuesday .. 
17 
29-527 
49 9 
47-2 
w. 
49-2 
59-4 
42-9 
104-2 
36-0 
0-070 
Wednesday 
18 
29-677 
51-0 
43-3 
NE. 
43 9 
61-3 
41-2 
99-9 
34-1 
0-068 
Thursday .. 
19 
30-0i3 
46-1 
45-1 
N. 
48-8 
49-9 
42-4 
6-2-6 
37-2 
— 
Friday 
20 
30-177 
45-4 
42-9 
E. 
48-0 
50-6 
421 
59-8 
42-3 
— 
Saturday .. 
21 
3.-100 
43-8 
39-7 
N.B. 
47 6 
57-1 
87-6 
102-2 
29-1 
— 
29-815 
48-5 
45-9 
49-0 
56-5 
43-1 
88-9 
37-5 
0341 
REMARKS. 
15th.—Dull and showery till 11 A.ii., then fair with occasional sunshine ; showers and 
lunar halo at night. 
16th —Rain from 7 A.M. to 9 A.M., and frequent slight showers during the day, bub 
bright sun at times. 
17th.—Bright sunshine early ; dull and rainy from 8 A.M. to 11 A.M.; alternate sunshine 
and spots of rain after. 
18th.—Fine with some sunshine in morning; heavy shower at 4 P.M. with distant 
thunder, an i showers after. 
19th.—Overcast throughout, 
20th.—Overcast all day. 
21st.—Overcast early; bright and sunny from 10 A.M.; clear night. 
Owing to the cloudy sky the day temperatures have not been so high as in the 
previous week, but the average temperature is still above the mean.—G. J. SYMONS. 
