22 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jl1> 7, 1887. 
him to poverty. Bred to corn-growing almost to the ex¬ 
clusion of other branches ol farming, the man of ordinary 
ability was totally unfit to cope with difficulties arising 
simply from a great and apparently permanent reduction 
in the price of corn. Even in corn-growing his practice 
was but too often that which had been h inded down from 
one generation to another. To plough, sow, and reap; a 
long fallow about every fourth year, followed by a dressing 
of farmyard manure, about summed up his routine of 
farming. Cause and effect, if they had attention from him, 
were seldom, if ever, grasped in such a manner as to lead 
to real improvement. In proof of the general ignorance of 
other branches of agriculture we may point to Mr. Sut¬ 
ton's experiments, for they are a tacit acknowledgment of 
it. If the culture of pasture, either temporary or per¬ 
manent, had been understood, we may be very certain that 
he would not now be engaged in what are plainly termed 
experiments, and which, too, are so clearly intended for 
the general enlightenment. If further proof were re¬ 
quired, we have it in the outspoken objections to laying 
down land either temporarily or permanently. Positive, 
assertion generally springs from ignorance, and it certainly 
does so in this instance. 
The cultivation of all forage crops is worthy of care¬ 
ful attention and inquiry. We must know all about the 
requirements of the crops we cultivate in order to obtain 
the greatest possible bulk per acre, and also, if necessary, 
be able to continue the culture of any given crop year 
after year upon the same field. To do this in the best 
way we must know all about the food required for its full 
growth and development, and how it obtains such food— 
what from the soil, what from the air. Clover-sick land 
arises from the simple fact of the last crop of Clover 
having absorbed certain manurial constituents from the 
soil, which must be replaced in sufficient quantity before 
a full crop of Clover can again be had from it. Yet what 
do we find many farmers doing by way of a remedy for 
land so exhausted ? Why, they just make over the land to 
Nature for a time, and say they must withhold Clover 
from it for so many years. There is no doubt that Clover 
is a very exhaustive crop. Take, for example, the 
manurial constituents in decimals of an average croji of 
Clover upon an imperial acre of land, and we have of 
potash 73 parts, of soluble phosphate G9, and of nitrogen 
140, which shows unmistakeably that, though potash is un¬ 
doubtedly indispensable for Clover, yet we also require 
heavy dressings of nitrogenous manure if we would have 
a full crop. 
Great caution must be observed in our conclusions 
about the proportions of different manures to be used for 
pasture. The mixture we have hitherto recommended 
has answered so admirably upon every pasture we have 
tried or seen it tried upon, that it is with considerable 
reluctance we make any change in it. Regard must, 
however, be had to cost as well as efficiency, and it must 
be owned that nitrate of potash is very expensive, and in 
taking muriate of potash as a substitute we but follow 
the lead of Ville and other chemists. That a mixed 
dressing is best we proved long ago, not only as supplying 
all the immediate wants of the crop, but also in providing 
food to sustain the plant in full vigour after the first 
growth is removed, either as hay or by grazing. For , 
permanent pasture formation and development we should 
much prefer beginning with clean, well-drained, fertile 
soil, sown with the best possible mixture of Grasses and 
Clovers, and sustained in full vigour by the timely appli¬ 
cation of manures; but old pastures may be brought 
into flourishing condition by judicious treatment, and we 
certainly do not advise breaking them up simply because 
they do not contain all the best Grasses. 
WORS OS THE HOME FA.RM. 
Heat and drought have told upon posture, spring corn, and root 
crops, especially upon light land farms. No roots, a short corn crop, 
bare pastures, falling prices for both lambs and sheep ; these are the 
special troubles of light land farmers just now. There is time enough 
and to spare, however, for a crop of white Turnips if we do but get some 
rain, and so far as we have been able to ascertain early sown Mangolds 
are a good crop, well established in the ridges, and growing freely. The 
roots will probably be small, and we have in view of this had them left 
closer together in the rows than usual. Never was the importance of 
sowing early more apparent, especially among Swedes. We know some 
fields of Swedes now with a full plant quite as vigorous and flourishing- 
as the best Mangold, simply because they were sown while the soil was 
moist and the weather showery. Often have we heard it given as a 
reason for the late sowing of Swedes that an early sown crop is liable 
to suffer from mildew. True it is that occasional patches of mildew- 
stricken plants may be found in a field of early Swedes, but then the 
greater bulk of the sound roots more than atones for such failures. The 
chief thing is always to be alert to seize an opportunity for getting in 
the seed when it has a fair chance of quick tjerminatioa followed by 
free growth. Late sown Swedes are generally a failure this year, and 
silage will probably be raa le in larger quantities than usuai, especially 
where Maize has been sown freely. 
The nourishing properties of silage have now become clearly recog¬ 
nised by every unprejudiced farmer, and with the risk of failure in 
root crops from drought it is surely well to provide a store of forage by 
every known means. True it is that we are making some splendid hay 
and stover now, and we shall certainly do well to add to our store for 
nest winter and spring by turning as much Maize or other herbage into 
silage as can be spared. No matter how it is done, whether in pits or 
stacks, each plan is equally good in its way. Coarse rank herbage from, 
a bog has under pressure been converted into wholessome food as savoury 
and palatable as the best meadow hay. To any who question this 
statement, we say a visit to a well-managed stack of it must convince 
the most sceptical of its truth. 
PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY PASTURES. 
In a letter advocating the laying down of temporary pastures, Mr. 
J. H. Millard adduces the following testimony of Monsieur H. Joulie, 
and read before the Socidtd des Agriculteurs de France :— 
“Of all the various methods for producing hay, the best, without 
doubt, is that of temporary lays, composed either of Graminacem alone, 
or of a mixture of Graminaccre and Leguminosae, according to the nature 
of the soil. Are not fields of Leguminosae, such as Clovers, Sainfoin, 
Lucerne, which are of such service in well directed farming, simply 
temporary grass lands? The merits which have so long been recognised 
in them belong equally to temporary occupation by Graminacate, and 
these have, moreover, the advantage of being serviceable as pastures^ 
which is only seldom the case with fields of artificial leguminous Grasses. 
“ The practical application of this principle is, that the temporary 
occupation of the land by a grass ley for two or three years, which takes, 
its turn in the rotation of crops, should be preferred to temporary occu¬ 
pation by grass. We thus secure the improvement of the soil obtainable 
from the cultivation of Clover, Lucerne, Vetches, &c. But as this class 
of plant will not succeed on every soil, temporary leys with gramina¬ 
ceous herbage ought to give, where leguminous plants do not succeed, 
analogous if not equally good results, aud so assist us materially in 
solving the problem of producing cereal, root, and other crops with 
increasing economy.” 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° Si' 40" N.; Lmj, 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
1887. 
Hygrome- 
d . 
Shade Tem- 
Radiation 
a 
June 
g=o rj o> 
o ^ 
ter. 
5 a 
Q._ O 
perature. 
Temperature 
83 
aud 
In 
On 
July. 
m2 S 
Dry. 
Wet. 
fio 
H 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deer. 
deg.: 
In. 
Sunday.2 s 
30.2 72 
5.5 4 
52 8 
N.E. 
62.0 
62.6 
48 2 
76 5 
47 4 
_ 
Monday.27 
30.227 
593 
54.4 
E. 
60.8 
84 2 
43 0 
121 5 
38.2 
_ 
Tuesday .. . 28 
30.240 
64 3 
58.9 
E. 
622 
75.3 
53.9 
1186 
50. L 
_ 
Wednesday.. 2D 
86.485 
66.2 
59.C 
N.E. 
62 6 
78.2 
58.2 
125.5 
58 2 
_ 
Thursday .... 30 
30.401 
61.7 
57.0 
N.E. 
62.8 
71.1 
53.3 
108 8 
48 7 
_ 
Frid.iy . 1 
30.371 
6s 7 
58.6 
N.E. 
€2 2 
82 3 
49 l 
130 8 
44 8 
_ 
Saturday .... 2 
30.263 
74 l 
63.8 
N.W. 
62 8 
81 9 
54 8 
116.8 
60.2 
— 
30 323 
Cl 2 
57.9 
6.‘.2 
. 76.5 
61.5 
1141 
48.2 
— 
REMARKS. 
26th.—Dull and cold, but clow all day. 
S7ih.—Close hazy morning; bright hot afternoon. 
28 h.—Cloudy and cooler in the morning; warm, with a good deal of sun in afternoon. 
29th.—Fine b it olose. 
SOth.—Cloudy morning, afternoon fine, and generally bright. 
1st.—Warm and fine, but at times cloudy. 
2nd.—Fine and warm. 
The third consecutive rainless week and a hot one, the fourth considerably above the 
average.—<3. J. SYMONS. 
