40 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Ju'y 12, l&sg. 
quarter cwt. steamed bones, and l.t cwt. superphosphate. This is 
clearly a step in the right direction, but it will be found advan¬ 
tageous to use muriate of potash insteid of the expensive nitrate, 
and to use twice the quantity if the Clovers are weak. 
As a practical outcome of all these experiments we hope soon 
to hear of real work far beyond the scope of mere trial plots. 
Often have we told our readers how we put chemical manures, 
farmyard manure, and sheep-foiling fully to the test upon grass 
Sind laid in for hay, and in reclaiming poor pasture. We thus 
proved that sheep-folding and well chosen chemical manures were 
olike profitable, and that farmyard manure was comparatively 
unprofitable. 
The matter has long ago passed from the vexatious vagueness 
of mere opinion to the safe ground of positive fact, yet we still 
■fiud the advocates of muck proclaiming it as being altogether 
superior to artificial manure. So it is undoubtedly superior to 
much of the rubbish which has been foisted upon farmers in the 
guise of special mixtures for special crops by plausible dealers. 
What we want farmers now to see in their own interest, what the 
experiments are intended to make clear, is the important fact that 
pure chemical manures can, by the aid of science, be made to store 
the soil with plant food as fully, and far more economically, than 
ever can be done with the very best farmyard manure. But there 
<ire serious obstacles in the way of the diffusion of such knowledge. 
Long-established custom, combined with ignorance and prejudice, 
are only to be overcome by the tangible proof of profitable results, 
aid until reports of experiments take a more positive tone very 
little good is likely to be done by them. The North Lancashire 
Report justly observes that it is tedious to arrive at the truth, 
especially in agricultural matters. With equal justice Mr. Martin 
tT. Sutton said at Dyson’s Wood that the results of his experiments 
were hardly applicable to the country at large. 
What is wanted now is for private enterprise to apply what 
knowledge has been gained by the experiments, and we are glad to 
know that this is being done more extensively than is generally sup¬ 
posed. We only hope to hear much more than we have done of 
results. In Sussex, Major Sergison has done good work in the manner 
desired, notably in Wheat culture. Seven years ago he took over 
from a tenant some land pretty well farmed out ; by thorough 
cultivation and the use of pure chemical manures be obtained a 
fair crop of Wheat the first season. It was, in point of fact, 
* > good that he mentioned it at a local agricultural show dinner 
and in response to the challenge that he could not do it again, he 
hiS continued growing Wheat upon the same field ever since, 
applying Professor Jamieson’s mixture, or rather chemical manures 
mixed at the farm according to his formula, and now he is able to 
show a better crop of Wheat than he had at first. This is quite in 
accordance with our own experience, and we may here notify our in¬ 
tention to sow Wheat and Barley upon the same land at each of our 
farms every year. It is a notable fact that there is frequently a 
wide difference in the soil of a farm. For example, we have a 
heavy land farm with some 40 or 50 acres of excellent mixed soil, 
admirably adapted for Barley. We have a flourishing crop of 
Barley upon that part of the farm this year, and have told the 
bailiff to devote that land constantly to the same crop, just as he 
is to continue growing Wheat and Beans upon the heavier land. 
Now, when we took over this farm we found the Barley land just 
1 lid down to permanent pasture, while the poor heavy land was 
under corn, and we had to reverse this order, or rather disorder of 
t .lings to lay down the land which did not answer to keep under the 
plough, and break up that which did. To grow two white straw 
crops in succession upon the same land, to sell straw off the farm, to 
continue cropping without a long fallow, to use artificial manures 
instead of muck, was generally condemned at one time, and is 
considered not only wrong but ruinous by farmers of the old 
school. All this, however, will come right, only “ it is tedious to 
arrive at the truth, and when we have it is still more tedious to 
induce others to believe. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Haymaking is now in full swing, and we long for a change to settled 
weather, as otherwise the work will prove both tedious and expensive. 
So far we have kept the mowing machines at work even in showery 
weather, for the grass sustains no harm for a few days after it is mown 
if left unturned, and by keeping the tedding machines briskly at work 
in fine weather, and following with the horse rakes and putting the bay 
into cocks good hay can be made. We could not well wait longer, for 
the early grasses were in seed, some of them approaching ripeness, but 
the showery weather induced so strong a growth in the late grasses that 
by the exercise of watchfulness and care we hope to have good hay. 
On the whole the crop is certainly more abundant than it was last year, 
yet generally there has been such a scarcity of sheep feed that both 
pasture and layers have been fed off closely, and hay should be dear 
next winter. But this is by no means certain. If Maize and Oats con¬ 
tinue so low in price, they tend to keep down hay ; at any rate, it was so 
last winter. We shall have one or two air shafts in each large hayrick, 
as fermentation is apt to be excessive in showery weather, and the rick 
cloths will be drawn up off the hay as early in the morning as the 
weather admits of. 
The growth of Clovers and Grasses is an interesting study at this 
season of the year. No doubt the finer Grasses impart a tempting ap¬ 
pearance to hay, but for bulk of crop combined with quality we cer¬ 
tainly are bound to give preference to Cocksfoot, Rye Grass, and other 
Grasses of exceptionally robust growth. There is such a thing as over¬ 
refinement in permanent pasture, especially upon poor land. We like 
big hayricks, and under good cultivation such Grasses as we mention go 
far to ensure them. If the hay is coarse in texture it is palatable 
enough, and if sheep or horses will not eat in one form they will in 
another. Certainly such hay compares favourably with that from many 
an old pasture, where the herbage often consists of indigenous Grasses, 
and is very poor in quality. For temporary layers of three or four 
years’ duration very heavy crops of most excellent fodder are had by the 
judicious sowing of strong-growing Grasses and Clovers. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Treatment of Cows Before Calving (A. 7?.).—You appear to 
share the common but erroneous opinion that a pregnant cow should be 
low in condition. On the contrary, it should rather be in as full lusty 
a condition as is possible short of fatness, for not only has it to supply 
nourishment to the calf before birth, but also to yield a full flow of 
milk after calving. Certainly a full dietary of good grass now, for a 
cow expected to calve at the end of the present month, is highly desir¬ 
able. Here are a few simple rules for your guidance :—Let milking 
cease entirely six weeks before calving. Manage this by milking once 
a day for a while, and then once in two days. If this is done with 
care all risk of a loss of quarters is avoided. Avoid systems of semi¬ 
starvation, by which cows are rendered weak and low in condition at 
the time of calving. Rather let them have more sustenance, in order 
that they may produce a fine calf, and a full rich yield of milk sub¬ 
sequently. Do not, however, change suddenly from a low’ to a high 
diet or you may induce milk fever. It is unnecessary to interfere in 
ordinary cases of calving ; it is only in protracted labour or false pre¬ 
sentations that help is required in the manner mentioned by you. After 
the calving give the cow a warm—not hot—mash, and let the drinking 
water be slightly warm. A few hours after calving a pound of Epsom 
salts and two drachms of ginger may be given as a safety drink. In¬ 
flammation of the udder may generally be prevented by allowing the 
calf to remain with the cow and suck when it pleases. In all cases of 
danger or difficulty a veterinary surgeon should at once be called in. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUA11E, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 88' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8'0" W.; Attitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
1888. 
i&S-: 
oS > 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
a . 
cid 
w a 
pi 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
RalD. 
J uly. 
Bar 
ter i 
and 
Lc 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Sc 
Mux. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass 
Sunday . 
1 
Inches. 
3<>.o85 
deg 
54 9 
de<r. 
4-1.4 
N.W. 
deg. 
! 8 O 
deg. 
75.9 
deg. 
444 
deg. 
108 6 
deg. 
41 6 
In. 
0.010 
Monday. 
2 
20 99 > 
50 4 
515 
S. 
58.2 
60 4 
52 1 
7 lA 
453 
0.572 
Tuesday .. 
3 
29.585 
1 9.9 
5.5.0 
R.W. 
57 2 
09 0 
54 0 
120.2 
53.4 
0 040 
Wednesday . 
4 
29.514 
59.4 
55 0 
S W. 
57.7 
G .9 
56 8 
112.2 
49 4 
0.»5> 
Thursday .... 
5 
29.501 
02 4 
55 9 
s w. 
57 8 
00 8 
54 0 
112.8 
57 9 
0 800 
Friday . 
6 
29.84 > 
58.6 
5 .3 
w. 
57 7 
64.3 
51.9 
105.7 
48 8 
0.O68 
Saturday .... 
7 
2».9 >3 
54.3 
52 3 
N. 
57 0 
6u 4 
512 
87.3 
52.7 
0.03 > 
29.748 
58.0 
63 9 
57.7 
60.3 
52 2 
10 2.9 
49.2 
1.126 
REMARKS. 
1st— CJererally fine, but no*, much sun. 
2nd.— Rain nearly a 1 <lny ; short dry interval about 6 I’ M. 
3rd. Snowery, e-peeialiy in the afternoon ; much wind. 
4th.— Fair morning; shower with distant thunder at 130 P M.: thundery again, w th 
slight rain, from 2.15 P.M. to 3 P M., otherwise tine and oright, with spots of ram 
abour 5 PM. 
5th.— Bright early ; heavy rain from 10.30 A.M. to noon, and from 2.50 P.M. to 3.10. P M. 
mquent* showers and thunder ill afternoon and evening with cccaslocal 
lightning. 
6th.—Overcast all day, with heavy rain from 11 A.M to II 30 A.M. 
7th w th oce isional slight sh' wers or dri/./.ie. 
Ov„tc tsi ra ny w t k. whh ow max.mu.a temperatu'e?.—0. J. STMO*8. 
