232 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September G, 188P. 
LANDLORDS’ FARMING. 
Michaelmas, always an important time to all connected with 
•agriculture, has, under the depression, acquired much more import¬ 
ance, especially to the landlord and his agent, for it is indeed 
seldom now that the term passes by without one or more farms 
falling in hand, and what to do with such farms becomes a serious 
■question—altogether one of ways and means, only to be resolved 
satisfactorily when enough money is forthcoming to enable the 
agent to take up the farm and bring it into a high state of culti¬ 
vation. No light matter is it to undertake this work, for in nine 
■cases out of ten the land is “ farmed out ” in the full sense of the 
term ; poverty stricken, foul with weeds, and very likely requiring 
redraining. Under such unfavourable conditions, combined with 
low prices for farm produce, the work of reclamation is beset with 
difficulties, which, if not positively insuperable, are not to be over¬ 
come in a single season, except at a ruinous outlay. Under ordinary 
circumstances we do not recommend such an outlay, but rather to 
spread out the work over two or three years, so that the farm may 
at least be rendered self-supporting after the first year. For with 
farm after farm falling in, cautious expenditure is forced upon us, 
and we are bound to do all that is possible to curtail expenses. 
Now we often hear the assertion that landlords’ farmiug is not 
only unprofitable, but is positively ruinous ; and it has become no 
small part of the work of an estate agent to prove to demonstration 
that such assertions are false. We go further than this, and accept 
the challenge thus given, striving by every means in our power to 
prove that when once poor farms have been restored to a high 
•state of fertility they become so profitable as to render it desirable 
to retain them in hand, as affording returns upon outlay altogether 
superior to the rent to be obtained from a tenant. 
In order to do this, judicious expenditure must be combined 
with rigid economy, so that enough money may be invested in the 
farm, and all fanciful or needless outlay avoided. We know a 
(landlord with several farms in hand who will allow no Wheat to be 
grown upon any of them. Oats take the place of Wheat, and are 
slot by any means a full crop this year. A certain loss upon such 
landlord’s farming is inevitable, yet such risk of loss might have 
been avoided if the land had been in a suitable condition to yield a 
full crop of really fine Oats. It still answers to cultivate a fair 
proportion of most farm crops upon any farm with soil of sound 
staple if only the culture is really sound, but it does not answer to 
andulge in speculative crops or to venture far after novelties of 
any sort. The cultivation of Oats as a substitute for Wheat on 
English farms is certainly a novelty which could only find its justi¬ 
fication in a paying crop. By this term we mean a crop of at least 
SO bushels per acre, which quantity we have grown, but we know 
other farmers who by high cultivation and the use of select seed 
of improved sorts claim to have grown as much as 110 to 121 
bushels of Oats per acre. Well done ! say we, for that is the way 
to meet hard times. Grow more and better crops, and instead of 
giving up Wheat-growing let us see if we cannot get more grain 
.and straw out of every acre of land. 
Very desirable is it that landlords’ farming should be so good as 
to afford an example to the tenants of the best way of doing things. 
But for it to be the best way it must show a fair margin of profit, 
that is the true, safe, and final test ; and when a landlord or his 
agent can show the tenants how to get more out of the land their 
mutual interests will be advanced, a feeling of confidence will be 
created and fostered, and the landowner will be held in honour as 
the true friend of his tenants. 
It is doubtless pleasant to see a farm in the landlord’s hand that 
is a model of what farming should be in every detail and feature. 
But in these times we cannot afford expenditure upon mere appear¬ 
ance, and although it is an agreeable sight when every fence and hedge 
are in perfect order, we cannot advise our readers to expend money 
upon them beyond certain limits. By all means keep cattle and 
sheep fences arid the boundaries of a farm sound, but on arable 
land we are getting rid of all superfluous hedges and ditches as 
fast as we can, taking especial care to put down large drains in 
every ditch beforehand. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Dull unsettled weather still retards the ripening of the corn, but 
most of the Wheat is now ready for the reaper. Much is cut and is in 
shock, and a little is in stack. Needy farmers whose calculations are 
altogether upset by the late harvest have another trial in having to wait 
for the corn thrashing, soft Wheat being practically unsaleable when 
brought as it now is into competition with hard dry foreign corn. 
Owners of hop kilns are advised to turn them to account for drying 
Wheat, and we have known maltings turned to account for the same 
purpose, an equal quantity of damp grain being mixed with the dry 
grain on the barn fl or immediately it is brought from the kiln. It is 
left for a day or two after the mixing, then passed through a winnowing 
machine before it is put into sacks for market. 
Barley mowing has not yet become general, for it ripens very slowly. 
Two or three weeks of fine bright weather would enable us to save it in 
fair order, but it is already so much discoloured that it seems almost 
hopeless to expect a really fine malting sample this year. Where the 
Barley is beaten down there is a second growth of green patches that is 
a lamentable sight, for wherever such patches occur the Barley is spoilt. 
The best crops of Peas are those which were sown early in spring ; they 
have podded well, and likely to be saved in good condition. Later crops 
have a few full pods, and many half full. The lower part of the haulm 
is rotting, and there is nothing for it but cutting the haulm at once and 
trying to ripen and harvest it. This is done gradually early in the 
day before other corn is sufficiently dry for reaping. Of Beans the 
winter crop is excellent, but spring Beans have made a remarkable 
growth fully 5 feet in height, and many of the upper pods are abortive. 
On the whole we have crops of average abundance, but all are excep¬ 
tionally late, and the weather so far has been unfavourable for saving 
them. We still hope to be able to do this, and every arrangement has 
been made for prompt action if the weather clears. All depends upon 
this, for without fair weather our best efforts are liable to failure, and 
the waiting for the much-desired change is both tedious and dis¬ 
heartening. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Gorse as Cattle Food (J. J. W .~).—The clippings of Gorse fences 
are sometimes used as cattle food, and the sloping banks often found in 
hilly districts as well as the banks of railway cuttings may be turned to 
account by the growth of Gorse. One of the reasons why Gorse has not 
attracted more attention as food for stock is in consequence of the diffi¬ 
culty of reducing it into a state fit for food, by breaking down the 
prickles and points on the stems of the plants. Analyses by various 
chemists have been taken, but that given by Mr. Lawes and Dr. 
Voelcker in comparison with other food is the most important. As 
follows :— 
Name of Fle c h- Fat- 
Food. formers.' formers. 
Furze or Gorse . 3*21 .... 9 m4 
Cabbage . 1*63 .... 5*06 
Kohl Kubi. 2 75 .... 8*62 
Mangold . 1*51 .... 8-60 
Name of Flesh- Fat- 
Food. formers, former* 
Swedes . 194 .... 5*93 
Carrots. 0 60 .... 1018 
Common Turnips. 1*80 .... 4*41 
Clover hay . 4*27 .... 814 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 82' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. | 9 A.M. I IN THE DAY. 
1888. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32° 
and Sea 
Level. 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
fl . 
S3 fl 
Temp, of 
soil at 
| 1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
P 
3 
M 
August & Sept. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
5 0 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
suu. 
On 
grass 
Sunday . 
Inches. 
29.9 4 
deg. 
61.5 
deg. 
5 4 
s.w. 
deg. 
59.3 
deg. 
68.0 
deg. 
64 6 
deg. 
K87 
deg. 
49 5 
In. 
o.oto 
Monday. 
29.979 
62 3 
56.7 
s.w. 
59.0 
69 3 
52 2 
105.5 
46 6 
0.101 
Tuesday .., 
28 
29 868 
57.2 
56.7 
E. 
59.0 
62.6 
66.6 
97.4 
51.7 
0.8.7 
Wednesday. 
29 
29.9i 3 
58.6 
52.9 
S.W. 
58 0 
63.7 
49.0 
104.2 
44 6 
0.049 
Thursday... 
30 
29.986 
58 5 
53 3 
S.W. 
67 2 
64.7 
4 i 8 
112.0 
40 7 
OA'MS 
Friday . 
31 
o0..39 
56.6 
50.7 
N. 
56 6 
63.9 
46.7 
111.0 
4.:> 
— 
Saturday ... 
1 
3".343 
67.9 
52 8 
N. 
66 3 
67 6 
42 4 
116.3 
3..3 
0.(39 
30.040 
589 
£4.2 
579 
05.7 
49.8 
107.9 
44.4 
1.422 
REMARKS. 
26th.—Fine, with frequent sunshine in morning, showery afternoon, fii e night. 
k7th.—Fine and generally bright morning, cloudy afteruo m, spots oi rain .u cveninr. 
28th.—Wet al! day, with strong wind at night. 
29 h.— Fine briglir. morning, showery afternooD. 
80 th.—Fine and generally bright morning, heavy rain with lightning i nd 'hundc at 
2.30 P M. and showery after. 
31st.—Rr ght and fine throughout,but cool. 
1st. -Fine bright day, spots of rain in evening. 
A cool and wet week, but with a good deal of sunshine between the showers. During 
the slight thunderstorm on 30.h 0.180 inch oi rain fell in four minutes.—J. J. SYMON3. 
