184 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
f Angus 23, 1388. 
FEEDING MIXTURES AND MANURES. 
Protection from fraud in purchased food for animals of the 
farm, and in all fertilisers included under the comprehensive and 
popular term of artificial manures, is being sought more and more 
ley farmers generally, and this sensible conduct is undoubtedly part 
and parcel of the wholesome economy enforced by hard times. 
Retrenchment in everything possible has been and is still going on, 
and among the waste and losses arising from ignorance and care¬ 
lessness to which thorough-going reform is being applied, feeding 
cakes and mixed or prepared manures hold a leading place. 
The Royal Agricultural Society of England, the Bath and West 
of England, and kindred societies all hold out a helping hand in 
this useful work by the facilities enjoyed by their members for 
having analyses made at a nominal cost by Dr. Yoelcker and other 
ehemists whose ability and character are altogether above suspicion. 
Full reports of this work are published periodically, and they 
certainly disclose a lamentable condition of things which have 
doubtless been long in existence, and which have tended in a re¬ 
markable degree to injure, and in many an instance to hasten the 
downfall of many a worthy farmer. Sweeping and unsparing is 
the condemnation of those firms who are thus shown to be trading 
upon the confidence reposed in them ; but what is so very alarming 
is the well proved fact that it is quite the exception to meet with 
cake or manure which passes with impunity through the ordeal of 
the chemist’s laboratory. 
In the annual report for 1887 of the consulting chemist of the 
Royal Agricultural Society of England he wisely lays down that 
-“'there never was a time when farmers should more strongly insist 
upon having only pure cakes supplied to them, and make a point 
of getting a guarantee for the cakes being so. It is a frequent 
spractice for a manufacturer or dealer to put forward an analysis 
giving merely the per-centage figures of the different constituents. 
Rut it must be remembered that it cannot be a matter of indiffe¬ 
rence whether what is stated in an analysis as ‘ oil ’ is linseed oil 
•or some other of inferior value ; and similarly whether the nitrogen 
:aud other elements arise from linseed or from some less valuable 
material. I would urge this necessity of insisting upon pure cake 
being used, inasmuch as so soon as admixture of any kind is ad¬ 
mitted, there is no limit to its quality or its nature.” He suggests 
•that the requirements which a linseed cake should satisfy in order 
to be fairly termed a pure one are :— 
1, That it be made from sound seed of not less than 95 per 
•cent, purity, subsequently well screened. 
2, That it contain no ingredients of a poisonous or deleterious 
mture. 
3, That it be entirely free from sophistication of any kind. 
4, That it contain not more than 2 per cent, of sand. 
5, That it be sold in good merchantable condition. 
As showing how largely aid is sought in this matter now we 
may mention the fact of 1015 samples being analysed in 1887, and 
ithe number will probably be still higher this year, as so many 
[glaring examples of adulteration by firms of repute were detected. 
'To quote a few examples we may take the following. Of linseed 
cake, “ this is adulterated cake, containing quantities of locust 
bean, also cotton husk, and other foreign seeds, besides over 5 per 
cent, of sand.” Of boiled bones, “ this sample is adulterated with 
sulphate of lime (gypsum), and has over 2j per cent, of salt.” Of 
a patent carbon fertiliser for Oats, “ a material not worth a 
sixth of what it costs.” Then we are told of manure bought 
as dissolved bones which is not dissolved bones at all; of other 
samples of cake containing an immense quantity of weed and other 
seeds, or which were impure and nasty, containing besides 4 per 
cent, of sand, cotton husk, niger seed, and other impurities. 
Clearly, all this teaches that neither manufactured cake or 
manure should ever be bought without a guarantee of purity, and 
subject to analysis. Better still would it be to avoid such doubtful 
articles altogether. As our readers know we have done so for a 
considerable time, and prefer to select and mix our own manures, 
notwithstanding the labour, time-, and care involved in doing sc 
for we have the satisfaction of knowing that we thus avoid all risk 
of loss from adulteration, and that the soil is rich in fertility. By 
careful management the use of cake may also be avoided, as much 
as possible home-grown corn and fodder should be used, and un¬ 
crushed linseed may enter largely into the dietary of our cattle*. 
But for real fattening purposes we desire nothing better than a 
well balanced mixture of Beans, Oats, Barley, and Peas, either 
crushed or ground to meal. Of Oats we have such an abundant 
foreign supply at such low rates that is only under first-class 
culture we desire to use land for Oats at all. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
If the haymaking was at first tedious it became brisk and satisfac¬ 
tory enough towards the end, but for Clover, Sainfoin, and grass it 
extended over a period of nearly two months, and were therefore a 
tedious and costly process. We have some fine stacks; they are 
thatched and insured, and are therefore well off our hands for the 
moment. We must own to feeling some anxiety about rather heavy 
arrears of hoeing amongst root crops, especially in the later sowings of 
white Turnips. This is all the more serious because harvest is upon 
us and we shall have to manage as best we can by means of what extra 
labour can be had. This sounds like an outcome of bad management, 
but it only exists at two of our farms where the haymaking was ex¬ 
ceptionally heavy, and we may add that with several hundred of acres 
of hay to save in a wet season, the most well-considered plans are 
liable to be upset. 
Peas, Oats, Rye, and Wheat are the corn crops now ready for and 
being mown. The rate of pay is from £7 to £8 per man, and the 
average acreage is about thirteen per man, including the reaping, bind¬ 
ing, carting, and stacking. We shall use no self-binders this season, 
for so much of the best Barley is beaten down that binding is out of 
the question, and the actual reaping will prove by no means an easy 
matter. Many Oats and Peas are already in stack, and on light land 
Wheat follows closely. There is much difference in the Wheat crop 
this season, much of the late sown Wheat being still quite green, but 
we are glad to find anything like blight or disease is the exception and 
not the rule this season. Our chief anxiety in connection with the 
harvest is about the Barley. The grain is so far excellent if only we 
can save it without much exposure to heavy rain, so as to ensure 
quality in combination with quantity. The outlook for both green 
fodder and hay next season is excellent; never were young Clover and 
other layers more luxuriant or a fuller plant, and we appreciate this 
success all the more from the very general failure of layers last season. 
Owing to this failure both Clover, hay, and home grown seed will be 
scarce, and it is probable that very few old layers will be left over till 
spring. We are folding sheep upon them, and ploughs follow in pre¬ 
paration of the soil for Wheat sowing. 
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. 
io at 
® ci 3 — 
Hygrome- 
fl . 
Shade Tem- 
Radiation 
a 
1888. 
ter. 
V fl 
perature. 
Temperature. 
& 
August. 
5 <3 A’" 5 
In 
On 
8 8 as 
Dry. 
Wet. 
5o 
H 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Bund ay . 
12 
30.006 
652 
60 5 
s.w. 
62.0 
73.6 
79 8 
122.4 
57 5 
Monday. 
13 
29.843 
63.5 
55.4 
w. 
62.1 
77.4 
56.5 
121.6 
52.2 
Tuesday .... 
14 
30 221 
59.7 
52.7 
s.w. 
61.7 
69 7 
46 3 
120 4 
39.8 
_ 
Wednesday. 
15 
30.10» 
55.6 
52 3 
x.ts. 
61 3 
64 9 
47 4 
102.3 
41.4 
_ 
Thursday.... 
16 
30.149 
68 4 
51.7 
N. 
61.0 
62 6 
452 
106.6 
39.7 
_ 
Friday . 
17 
30.146 
54.6 
50.2 
E. 
59.2 
62.1 
47 4 
92 4 
40.8 
Saturday .... 
18 
30.247 
55.7 
52.2 
N. 
58.7 
65 8 
48 4 
114.2 
46.7 
— 
30.102 
59 0 
536 
| 64 7 
68.0 
50.1 
111.4 
45.4 
REMARKS. 
12th.—Fair, but generally overcast except for an hour or two at midday. 
13tb.—Spots of rain early; bright day with strong wind. 
14th.—Bright and fresh. 
15th.—Overcast merning; fair aftt moon, with a little sunshine, but cool throughout. 
16 th.—Bright early ; cool and generally cloudy day. 
17th.—Overcast and cold throughout. 
18th.—Dull morning and fair afternoon, but cool. 
A rainless week following a dry one. T mperature lower, and weather generally 
dull.— G. i. SrMONF. 
