526 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 2?, 1834. 
CIIA^’GING AGRIGULIURE. 
Many and foolish have been the suggestions foi’ dealing 
with the agricultural depression in Essex, which the Commis¬ 
sioners’ Report has called forth. A model farm, a general 
cleaning and restoring the land to fertility, schools for agricul¬ 
ture—all by the Government—are among the unwise measures 
recommended by those who write with little if any practical 
knowledge of the subject. Few persons outside Essex have 
anything like a clear conception of what the heavy clays of 
that county are like—h&w teuac'ous they are; how imperv ous 
to anything like useful water filtration they are; how the wet 
land, broken up to bright sunshine, becomes hard as paving 
stones, or how much of the grass land becomes so sodden during 
winter as to be little better than a swamp till it dries by 
evaporation in spring. 
The Scotch farmers appear to have adopted, or rather 
initiated, a safe system of cultivation. According to Mr. 
McConnell they avoided bare fallows. Said he, “We simply 
plough properly, manure heavily, grow good crops, lay the 
land down to grass, and there is no further trouble.” Even 
in corn growing he tells of a striking improvement—how 
Wheat crops, which at first averaged only 3 quarters an acre, 
soon rose to 4? and 5 quarters, and how there was a still greater 
improvement in Oats, which improvement was attributed solely 
to muck applied to fields which never had a dressing before, 
at any rate during the present generation. He tells also of 
the action of gaslime in ameliorating the soil. “ We use 
immense quantities of the spent lime from the London gas¬ 
works, which we get at the cost of carriage. It is applied in 
various ways, and many are foolish enough to use it without 
manure. Some mix it with earth for compost for top-dressings 
and some apply it to fallows. We prefer to apply it raw, at 
the rate of from 4 to 6 tons per acre in autumn, to the lea land 
that is to be ploughed up during the winter. By this means 
all ‘ grubs ’ are killed, the turf is partly killed, the soil is made 
more friable, while, of course, the natural fertility is stimulated. 
By itself I have seen it act on a crop as strongly as nitrate of 
soda, but the soil must be fed along with it. Its effect upon 
the mechanical texture is wonderful. I remember one case of 
a field that was partly dressed and partly left undressed with it, 
and in broadcasting the seed afterwards I could feel the 
difference in the soil in stepping from the one part to the other 
every time I went up and down the stetches, because the limed 
part was so much more loose and friable.” A fresh dressing 
is applied about every sixth year to that portion of the temporary 
pasture or lea land which comes in rotation for ploughing, 
preference being given to the blue lime as the more poisonous, 
and, therefore, more powerful in action. By applying it in 
autumn its poisonous sulphites are oxidised long before the 
crop is sown. ^ 
The satisfactory results from a regular periodical use of gas- 
lime show that in conjunction with a system of shallow drainage, 
say 30 inches deep and 16 feet apart, the condition of the land 
might be much improved. The profitable use of manure would 
then become a mere matter of detail. Under the Scotch system 
one-sixth or one-eighth of a farm is limed and ploughed each 
year, the whole of the remainder being down to temporary 
pasture. Under the old system only about one-fifteenth part 
of the farm was in permanent pasture, nearly the whole of the 
remainder being ploughed every year. Though both may be 
regarded as extreme systems, that of the Scotch farmer is safe, 
economical, and profitable, in all which points the old system 
has long been known to be deficient. The folly of persistence 
in it has been equally obvious. Wheat growing at a profit has 
been and is impossible under it, so too is Oat culture. But we 
have no doubt that under a thorough system of combined 
drainage, mechanical division, and sustained fertility of soil 
Oat growing might be rendered more pi’ofitable than it ever has 
been. Take the latest quotations of 27?. per quarter for best 
English Oats, take the possible average crop of 10 quarters an 
..acre, and we have a total value per acre for grain alone of 
£13 10s. We need not dilate upon the feeding value of Oat 
straw. For temporary pasture the coarser Grasses and Clovers 
are best. We should also like to see very much more Lucerne 
in cultivation on such land. It is certain this year to give four 
full crops, and last year it was even more, or rather altogether 
more valuable, from its power to resist drought by sending its 
roots so deep down into the soil. 
WOEK ON THE HOME FARM. 
We have seen haymaking in full swing in the home counties, and as 
far north as South Leicestershire. Very soon will it become general, 
with the exception of poor pasture, where the hay crop i* always late. 
This year it will be later than ever, because stock was kept upon it so 
late in spring. Where the hay can be had now an abundant aftermath 
is a certainty, alternating rain and sunshine causing herbage to grow 
with marvellous rapidity. The few bright days we have had have been, 
turned to account for using both horse and hand hoes, as plant-singling 
of both root and green crops had been pushed on, an agreeable change in 
the aspect of such crops followed the hoeing. There stands the plant, 
sturdy and full of growth, on clean land ; a full strong plant it is, too, 
free from blight or damage from insect pest of any sort. 
Often have we gone through the haymaking without making a single 
haycock. It is altogether a matter of locality and weather. If the 
weather is unsettled the hay should always be placed in cock as quickly 
as possible; if fine and settled weather prevails, then let the tedder 
follow the mower at once, and afterwards at frequent intervals. By 
judicious management of back and front action of the tedder, as is 
necessary in conjunction with horse rakes, labour is much reduced, and 
the hay is soon ready for carting. Consider ..well ways .and, means, do 
not get more grass mown than can be well dealt with. An able man 
with a good machine and sufficient relays of horses can mow 10 acres 
daily day after day, but to do this well he must have knives sharpened 
and changed for him, horses changed, and everything else done so that 
he may give his whole time and attention to the mowing. See that he 
is well supplied with oil for the machine, and always have an extra 
connecting rod at hand for each machine. Close attention to all such 
matters of detail does much to ensure dispatch in the work and to 
prevent those long delays which are so serious when the weather is 
favourable for the work. 
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. 
d 
'3 
P. 
1894. 
June. 
Barometer 
at 32°,and 
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 .. 
17 
30-000 
59-8 
55-0 
S. 
57-9 
68-6 
50-7 
107'1 
47-2 
0-026 
Monday .. 
18 
29-811 
60-0 
52-6 
N.W. 
57-3 
62-9 
50-3 
101-9 
46-2 
0-053 
Tuesday .. 
19 
30-111 
58-2 
51-7 
N.W. 
56-2 
66-9 
47-4 
111-8 
44-0 
— 
Wednesday 
20 
30-027 
58-8 
55-9 
S.W. 
5i-9 
62-9 
53-0 
100-6 
49-9 
0-166 
Thursday .. 
21 
30-199 
61-4 
54-2 
N.W. 
56-2 
73-9 
48-2 
117-0 
42-9 
— 
Friday 
22 
30-162 
60-6 
58-1 
S.B. 
57-9 
74-1 
50-4 
121-9 
46-0 
— 
Saturday .. 
23 
30'025 
67-8 
65-1 
S.W. 
58-9 
72-8 
67-7 
122-4 
63 4 
— 
30-048 
60-9 
56-1 
57-3 
68-9 
51-1 
111-8 
47-1 
0 246 
REMARKS, 
17th;—Sunny morning ; overcast afternoon; slight showers in evening. 
18th.—Some sunshine early ; overcast from 10 A.M., spots of rain at H A.M. and frequent- 
showers in afternoon and evening. 
19th.—Fine and pleasant throughout, but not much bright sun after 11 a.m. 
20th.—Overcast morning; continuous rain from 1.30 r.M. to 4.15 P.M. ; fine evening. 
21st.—Almost cloudless early, and unbroken sunshine throughout. 
22nd.—Overcast early; occasional sunshine in morning, and bright sunshine almost all 
afternoon. 
23rd.—Fine and generally sunny morning ; frequently cloudy in afternoon, and overcast- 
after 5 p.M. 
Rather warmer and finer, but temperature still slightly below the average.— 
G. J. Simons. 
