112 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 2, 1888. 
bright sunshine, and that such a summer must prove disastrous to 
corn crops. Well, now, we have several farms in hand in different 
parts of the great corn-growing district of East Anglia, and the 
superintendence of them, together with the management of wide¬ 
spread landed property, enables us to watch the progress of the 
crops and the effects of weather upon them, and we are bound to 
say that, so far, good rather than evil has followed a dripping July. 
The corn harvest must inevitably be late, but what does that matter 
if we get an abundant crop of corn and fine harvest weather ? No 
doubt bright sunny weather is desirable when the corn is in bloom, 
but it is not indispensable to grain development. That depends 
much more upon atmospheric temperature than upon clear skiea. 
As a matter of fact the mean temperature of the first week of 
July was rather more than a degree above that of the same time of 
year during the last fifty years, but the temperature of the second 
week was between 2° and 3° below it, and that of the third week 
was between 5° and 6° below the average. The fourth week shows 
u recovery of temperature, and an examination of the corn proves 
that the whole of it has “ cast ” very well indeed. Rye is almost 
ready for harvest ; Barley is fine alike in ears and grain ; Wheat is 
■so forward that myriads of sparrows find plenty of food in the 
.ears, and Oats show clearly that the process of ripening has already 
begun. 
So far, then, the somewhat cold and showery weather has done 
no harm, except it be to the hay, but fine weather is necessary for 
the corn harvest, for sprouting grain is spoilt grain, and we heartily 
hope that a bright sunny August will send St. Swithin into retire¬ 
ment again. Peas and Beans have thriven wonderfully, nor do we 
find in these useful crops a mere abnormal straw growth, for pods 
•are plentiful enough, and it must not be forgotten how invaluable 
Pea and Bean straw is for feeding sheep and cattle. We have now 
fair promise of an ample store of this valuable fodder, which dear- 
bought experience has taught us will prove invaluable next winter, 
and there is nothing more nourishing than Pea and Bean meal for 
live stock. Far better is it to have a good store of home-grown 
food for that purpose than to waste money upon impure oilcake. 
The showery weather has undoubtedly made haymaking an ex¬ 
pensive process, but the fact remains that good full flavoured hay 
can be made even in showery weather, and the bulk of the grass 
■crop has been practically doubled by the ran. The good old rule 
•of mowing grass for hay just as it is in full bloom has met with 
very little attention this year, but the thick growth of late grasses 
and Clover more than atones for some overripeness in the early 
grass, and the aftermath affords an exceptionally abundant growth 
of succulent grass. It is perhaps in the aftermath that the value of 
Cocksfoot in permanent pasture is best realised, for it starts into 
growth before any other grass, giving a strong free growth, of 
which both sheep and cows are especially fond. In this respect it 
is superior to all other grasses, and it answers as well for hay as any ; 
better than most, we might assert, if bulk alone is considered. 
Root crops of course thrive apace in such showery weather, yet 
even of such crops we have heard it said that they are now making 
leaves at the expense of roots ! Yet we never heard even the most 
pronounced grumbler assert that large roots had not fine leaves. 
■Cabbages and Kale ought to be abundant enough next winter if 
only the land has been well cultivated. We have ample evidence 
that it is the year of years for chemical manures, and the crops to 
which such manure has been applied show by an exceptionally 
vigorous growth that the busy roots have not suffered the nitrogen 
to be washed out of the soil. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
The corn harvest will be so late that there will be no stubble Turnips 
this year, nor shall we require them, for we were able to get fallow land 
so clean in May that it lay ready to our hand for sowing successional 
root crops in June and July. The last sowings of White Turnips have 
been made, and there will be plenty of lamb food from them next 
spring. Rye is almost ripe enough for mowing, and winter Oats will 
follow closely, for when the grain changes from the juicy or milky stage 
no time should be lost in mowing, or there will be risk of much of the 
corn falling. On small farms where space is so precious that close 
cropping has to be practised, Turnips have been sown after Tares, and 
have come well. Rye or Oat stubbles will be broken up early for winter 
Tares, which if sown early often give a very valuable supply of green 
food early in spring, to which we may turn after the Rye folding is 
done. 
The showery weather has induced so strong a growth of young Clovers 
and mixed layers among corn that it is likely to prove troublesome in 
harvest. The only way to avoid trouble from it is to mow high and 
leave long stubbles ; this involves some loss of straw, but it ensures the 
expeditious harvesting of the corn, a matter of especial importance 
with Barley, which suffers a serious deterioration in value from discolor¬ 
ation by rain. Some of the heavier Barley has become lodged by high 
wind and heavy rain, but we have not seen this to any great extent. 
On the whole, it is remarkable how well the corn stands up in the 
stormy weather we have had lately. This may in some measure be 
accounted for by the unusually robust growth of straw caused by the 
wet July. At one time the straw growth promised to be very dwarf, 
but straw and grain are now alike abundant. 
Haymaking will now soon be finished. It has proved a tedious, 
expensive, and arduous undertaking, but as usual watchfulness and care 
have enabled us to make good hay without bright sunshine. Haycocks 
have enabled us to overcome weather difficulties ; without them the hay 
would have been spoilt. Greatly do we regret to find so many farmers 
without poles, blocks, pulleys, ropes, and suitable rick cloths to protect 
the ricks from rain. Many who have rick cloths simply throw them 
over the rick at night, but that is most objectionable, as it neither throws 
off the rain well nor admits of a free escape of vapour from the rick. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Liver Fluke in Sheep (J/. 6'.).—A wet spring and summer fre¬ 
quently causes both sheep and lambs to suffer from liver fluke. No 
disease to which sheep are liable is more difficult to overcome. Out of 
fifty lambs purchased at a July fair in a wet season we lost fiEteen 
despite all our care. We have also had heavy losses of sheep by it. 
During the earlier stages of the disease the animals fatten quickly and 
the mutton is excellent. When sheep are attacked by it, the only way 
to avoid loss is to force them on by high feeding, so that they may be 
killed and sold while the meat is wholesome. Lameness of the right 
foreleg is the first unmistakeable symptom. If the sheep is then caught 
and pressed upon the right side it shrinks with pain. As the disease 
advances the eye becomes suffused with yellow ; the skin also becomes 
yellow, the wrnol parts easily from it, and then death usually follows 
quickly. The remedy, or rather the best method of treatment, is to put 
the flock upon a dry upland pasture ; to give dry food, consisting of 
chopped hay mixed with crushed oats, bran, and a little cake, with a 
plentiful mixture of salt. Bock salt is also kept constantly among the 
sheep. A tonic consisting of a drachm of powdered gentian root 
with half a drachm of powdered ginger may also be given frequently 
with advantage. 
Books (//. B. J/„ Canada ).—“The Complete Grazier and Farmers’ 
(&c.) Assistant,” by Youatt & Bum; Crosby, Lockwood & Co., 7, 
Stationers’ Hall Court, Ludgate Hill, London. £1 Is. “Handbook of 
the Farm Series,” nine vols. at 2s. Cd. each ; Bradbury, Agnew & Co., 
9, Bouverie Street, London. “ Principl-s of Scientific Elementary- 
Agriculture,” by J. C. Buckmaster and J. J. Miller ; Simpkin, Marshall 
and Co., London. Is. 6d. “ Wrighton’s Handbook of Agriculture 
Collins, Sons & Co., London. 2s. This set will suffice to give an all¬ 
round idea of general agriculture. Thomas Jamieson, Esq., 173, Union 
Street, Dundee, is the address to which you may apply for the other 
pamphlets. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden square, London. 
Lat. 51° 82' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8'0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
Hygrome- 
d . 
Shade Tem- 
Radiation 
H 
1888. 
c ^2 ^ 
ter. 
•.£ a 
peratuie. 
Temperature 
a 
July. 
| 
£5= 
In 
On 
SSj 
Dry. Wet. 
5 o 
H 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass 
Inches. 
deg : deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday . 
22 
29.883 
65.4 59.4 
S.W. 
58.0 
72.4 
5G.3 
H.4 4 
530 
0.347 
Monday. 
23 
29 618 
613 | 58 3 
s w. 
53.6 
69.0 
56.6 
113.4 
546 
_ 
TuesdaV .... 
24 
29.732 
62.8 58.7 
S.W. 
58.3 
69.4 
54 2 
1148 
50.7 
0.041 
Wednesday. 
2 • 
29.74» 
62.1 59.6 
ji. 
58 3 
64 9 
56 6 
102.4 
54.0 
0.229 
Thursday... 
26 
29.741 
61 0 57.9 
w. 
58 2 
70.1 
53.8 
114.8 
51.2 
0.134 
Friday . 
27 
29.8 ’4 
01.8 57 9 
s. 
58 4 
70.4 
50 4 
114.7 
45.8 
0.873 
Saturday ... 
28 
29.416 
62.9 60 8 
N.W. 
58 3 
69.0 
57 5 
114.7 
5 .2 
0.017 
29.723 
62.5 £8.9 
j 58.3 
69.3 
55.1 
111.3 
5-.2 
1.141. 
REMARKS. 
22nd.—Very line fresh morning, and pleasant day, without much sunshine. Heavy rain 
from 10.30 to midnight, with lightning and thunder. 
23rd.—Overcast and threatening, with distant thunder until about 11 A.M., then fine and 
generally sunny. 
24th.—Gale all day, occasional ram squalls in the morning, otherwise generally bright. 
25th.—Wet all day, fair evening. 
26th.—A thorough specimen of an Aoril day, bright sun and heavy showers alternating. 
k7ih.—Bright till 10 A.M., showery till 11 A.M., then fair with occasional sun. Home rain 
in afternoon, and heavy rain from 6 to 7 P.M. 
28th.—Generally fair, but shght rain about 7 P.M. 
Temperature near the average, but owing to cloudiness the range has bpen small, the 
nights have been warm* r and the days cooler than usual—in fact, the highest during the 
week was only 72.4°. Rain again much above the average.—G. J. SYMONS. 
