88 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
[ July 23. 188?. 
c^ery foot of space upon the land being turned to account, either 
for main or catch crops ; and of profitable poultry keeping. 
Turning to reports of other farms in other competitions, we are 
told of well-farmed pasture in good herbage, free from noxious 
weeds, and in good heart, on soil and subsoil gravelly and light. 
Of a profitable system of management of dairy cows, under which 
only very fine cows recently calved or near calving were purchased, 
fed well, kept only so long as they yielded a full flow of milk, and 
then passed on to the butcher in ripe'condition for killing. The 
dietary in this case consisted of hay, turnips, pea meal, maize 
inea'l, or other cereal food of good quality mixed with brewers’ 
grains, cut chaff steamed and seasoned with sugar or molasses, 
the practice being to watch the markets and food which was 
cheapest and best. On another farm each cow had 6 lbs. of 
barley, or 3 lbs. of barley and 3 lbs. of maize meal per cow, with 
hay and turnips, alternating with lb 3 . barley, 21 lbs. of hay, and 
42 lbs. of turnips. Another mixture used on this farm which Was 
described as both satisfactory and economical, consisted of 
Two tons of coarse barley at 
One ton best barley meal at 
One ton wheat sharps at ... 
One ton oatmeal dust at ... 
& s. d. 
;3, 5 0 
5 10 0 
4 10 0 
1 10 0 
per ton. 
The cost of this mixture was 5.1d. per 14 lbs., or £3 13s. 4d. 
per ton. Cotton cake was not used at all. Cows had often been 
lost from milk fever when it was used, but none had been lost 
since it was given up. We may remind our readers that the 
different sorts of food mentioned were used for cow r s kept solely 
to produce milk for sale, and not for cheese or butter. 
In other of the reports we find mention; of the adaptation of 
farms to surrounding circumstances ; of the profitable growth of 
fodder for use in its green state and for hay ; of town stable 
manure used profitably for suburban farms ; of the culture of 
farm produce of all kinds for special local requirements ; and 
above all of successful results achieved throughout the depression. 
In every instance the farm and its duties were the sole interest of 
the occupants. We are told of Mr. Joseph Lambert of Whickham 
that he and his wife had their hearts in their farm and in its 
success I hey fed their cows liberally, cared for them almost as 
for their children, and spared neither thought, labour, nor outlay to 
make them profitable. It was this gentleman of whose big white 
cow Beauty we are told that in 1887 “she had not been dry for 
nine years, but had milked continuously, and given as much as 
thirty-six and thirty-eight quarts of milk daily, keeping to this 
quantity for four months after calving, and never going below 
nine or ten quarts per day. She had had a calf every year for 
seven years, but only one in the last eighteen months. She was 
then nearly blind, but in good health. She was a great feeder, and 
would eat nearly as much as two cows.” 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Glad indeed were we to note an improvement in the weather, and 
the haymaking has been going on briskly. A rising barometer and 
c car sky gave fair promise of a continuance of fine weather, and a con¬ 
sequent considerable reduction in the expense of haymaking, as well as 
much improvement in the quality of the hay. So far we have sustained 
no serious loss from spoilt hay, nor has there been any risk of fire from 
excessive fermentation. There has been a high temperature in each 
nclc, and this is especially desirable to impart flavour when much rain 
has fallen upon mown grass. Under careful management so-called 
spoilt grass from exposure to rain becomes sweet and palatable. The 
one evil for which there is no remedy is mouldiness, which arises from 
carting hay that is damp or insufficiently harvested. 
Bright hot weather now is also much required for the corn. We 
have seen some magnificent crops of Wheat, Barley, and Oats since 
writing our last note, and have had pleasing evidence that more atten¬ 
tion is being given to the selection of pure seed. The Barley consisted 
of remarkably well-developed Chevalier and Beardless, the latter being 
especially recommended for deep rich soil or heavy land, and the former 
for general cultivation. The Wheat was a popular selection of Square- 
« o ’ * erme J Squarehead’s Master, which is really a pure and fine sample 
of Squarehead. “There!” said the farmer, “that is a fine break of 
V\ heat,” and we entirely agreed with him. It was in one large field of 
titty-two acres ; the crop was thick on the land, with fine bold ears of 
large grain, the straw of that robust growth peculiar to Squarehead, and 
o. a uniform height of about 4 feet. To anyone who thinks Wheat¬ 
growing is; dying out in this country, we say, Go and see such a crop, 
and conviction must follow that under such high culture Wheat-growing 
is still profitable. All corn has wonderfully improved, notwithstanding 
the low temperature of the first two weeks of the present month, anil 
none more so than Winter Oats, which were never finer either in straw 
or grain, but they will not be ripe enough for mowing till August, nor 
will Rye be ready till the end of the month. As a late harvest is now 
inevitable we shall employ a few more men than usual on every farm. 
The expense will be the same, as the work will be over in less time if 
only the weather prove favourable. 
BRITISH-GROWN TOBACCO. 
The report of the Judges appointed to determine the award for the 
prize of 50 guineas offered by the Tobacco section of the London 
Chamber of Commerce for the best specimen of British-grown Tobacco 
was circulated on Saturday. The Judges were Dr. J. Bell, F.R S., 
Somerset House ; Professor W. Fream, LL.D., College of Agriculture, 
Downton, Wilts ; Dr. J. Augustus Voelcker, Mr. Henry F. Moore, Fromp, 
Somerset; Mr. W. H. Wills, Mr. James Biggs, Mr. Louis Morris (Tobacco 
Manufacturers), Mr. Algernon Gilliat (Merchant), Mr. James Chambers, 
Mr. G. H. Ball (Tobacco Brokers), and Mr. C. A. Muller (Tobacco 
Importer). The conditions originally laid down by the Tobacco trade 
section of the Chamber when the prize was offered required that each 
specimen submitted for the competition should consist of a not less 
quantity of Tobacco, grown on a commercial scale, than 400 lbs. in 
weight. It was also stipulated that each sample should embrace an 
average of the crop grown, and that such particulars should be given by 
the growers as would assist the Judges in making “ a report on the yet 
doubtful question as to the possibility of growing Tobacco in Great 
Britain such as in quality relatively to price can compete with that of 
other countries.” The various entries of Tobacco, numbering eleven in 
all, were duly inspected by the whole of the Judges on May 14th at the. 
Fenchurch Street Warehouse. It was found that only four exhibitors 
had complied with the conditions of the competition so far as quantity 
was concerned ; but, in view of the interest which is being manifested 
in regard to Tobacco-growing in the United Kingdom, the Judges con¬ 
sidered it desirable to present a supplementary report on the remainder 
of the specimens, though not properly coming with the scope of their 
adjudication. They plac d the four exhibits submitted to them in the 
following order of merit :—First, Messrs. James Carter & Co.; second, 
Mr. W. L. Wigan ; third, Sir Edward Birkbeck, M.P. ; fourth, Mr. John 
Graves ; and they recommended that the prize of 50 guineas should be 
awarded to Messrs. James Carter & Co. Detailed particulars, furnished 
by the growers, as to the cultivation and preparation of the Tobacco 
sent in for competition are given, together with remarks of the Judges 
on the various exhibits. Closing tlieir report with certain “general 
observation^,” the Judges state that, speaking generally, “ not one of the 
four samples eligible for the prize was in any respect valuable for trade 
purposes, or even merchantable, presuming that no duty was chargeable 
upon the article. Still, it was evident that well grown Tobacco-leaf 
can be produced upon English soil, though, of course, this admission in 
no way takes account of the cost of production. . . . With regard 
to the prospects of Tobacco-growing on a remunerative basis in England, 
we share the opinion that, even under the most favourable conditions 
possible, such a crop cannot be made to pay, and that in most seasons it 
must be an absolute failure and heavy loss. The climate of this country, 
to begin with, is less favourable than that of Kentucky or Virginia, ami 
the cost of production will be found far greater here than in the United 
States. Until the curing of Tobacco is perfectly well understood in the 
United Kingdom the finest leaf that can be grown will be absolutely 
wasted and useless.” 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 82'40" N.; Long. 0° 8'0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAT. 
1888. 
g&S-- 
Hygrome- 
a . 
Shade Tern- 
Radiation 
R 
pa £ 
ter. 
p a 
o 
perature. 
Temperature 
July. 
In 
On 
Dry. 
Wet. 
So 
H 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass 
Sunday . 
Inches. 
(leg. 
(leg. 
deg. 
dev. 
dee. 
dee. 
dee. 
In. 
15 
29.816 
57.5 
55.3 
E. 
57.1 
01.6 
64 4 
75.1 
55 4 
0.3.9 
Monday. 
IH 
29 481 
(3 1 
590 
S 15. 
56 7 
67 8 
54 6 
1 1.4 
55.1 
_ 
Tuesday ... 
i: 
£9.471 
62.3 
57.7 
E. 
56 9 
69.0 
48 9 
102.7 
4 .5 
0.900 
Wednesday. 
18 
29.516 
6 -‘.9 
58 9 
N.E. 
57.1 
68.0 
55.4 
92.3 
53 3 
0i U 
Thursday... 
19 
29.827 
58 7 
56 4 
N. 
57.2 
72.7 
55.2 
119.3 
64 6 
0 172 
Friday . 
2 i 
29.927 
00.4 
58 9 
S.E. 
57.6 
67.4 
52 4 
94.7 
50.2 
0 i-72 
Saturday ... 
21 
29.915 
61.3 
55 9 
N.W. 
57.7 
C8 2 
557 
109.5 
54.5 
— 
29.708 
60 9 
57.4 
57.2 
68.1 
53.8 
99.3 
52.8 
1 616 
REMARKS. 
15th.—Wet all day. thunderstorm at night. 
16th — General y cloudy and threaienmg, with occasional spots of rain. 
17ih.—Bright and floe till 10.30 A M., then cloudy, with haze in afternoon, getting 
unuMitlly thick about 5 P.M.; very heavy rain, with some lightning and thunder 
from 6 P.M. to 6.30 P M , and wet evening. 
18th.—Dark and threatening morning with frequent spots of rain ; frequent thunder in 
afternoon, with showers fair evening. 
19th.—Overcast till 11 A M., then tine and bright with the exception of a slight shower 
about 2 P M., and heavy rain from 5 20 to 6.2 > P.M, 
20th.—Wet till nearly noon ; fair afternoon and evening. 
21st.—Fine, with occasional sunshine. 
A damp and rainy week, with frequent thunder. During the storm on tl e I7t'i the 
rain fell ii r some minutes at the rite of 4 inches an hour.—O. J. SrMONS. 
