186 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
r March 1, 1888. 
a certain number of ewe hoggets. As much chemical manure as 
we could afford was used in the spring of 188G, with such good 
effect that at the end of that year this farm had a balance to the 
good of £376 Is. 3d. This balance was carried on, and at the end 
of last year it had increased to £909 Is. Id. Of course we expect 
to be asked about the valuation of farm stock, and we-may answer 
that it would amount to about £100 less at the end of last year 
,than it did at Christmas, 1886, because the corn was sold up more 
closely. We might go on and quote results from the other farms 
in hand, but it will suffice for our purpose to state generally that 
each farm has improved strictly in proportion to the nature of the 
soil, for our treatment of every farm has been equally fair. 
It will, we hope, be understood that all tithes, rates, and taxes 
have been paid—at first out of our bank balance, and subsequently 
out of the money realised by the sale of farm produce—but we 
were unable to pay anything like a rent till the end of last year. 
It has indeed been an arduous undertaking, for in addition to soil 
difficulties we found others in faulty implements, and in some in¬ 
stances a want of them and of carriages that had to be supplied. 
No doubt our readers must sometimes think us over-persistent in 
our advocacy of the use of chemical manures, in conjunction with 
thorough cultivation in every other respect, but we have proved 
fully that without such manures and such thorough-going practice 
upon our part we must have faded in an undertaking, which under 
the circumstances may be said to have had something of rashness 
about it. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Since writing our last note the land has been under snow, and glad 
are we to have winter corn well sheltered in such a manner. Winter 
Beans are especially liable to suffer from frost now ; last year we lost a 
heavy per-centage of the plant, and we had, what we dislike so much, 
half crops on more than one field. Threshing Barley for seed, carting 
timber and gravel, has been our chief work during the past week since 
the carting of chemical manures was finished. We have been round to 
the whole of our farms to inspect the manure before it was mixed, and 
in every instance it is entirely satisfactory. The selection, purchase, 
and mixing of these manures involves much time and work, but un¬ 
doubtedly it is labour well bestowed, for we get pure manures mixed in 
correct proportions for the different crops, and we effect a great saving 
upon the special mixtures of manure merchants, which we have so much 
reason to avoid. Compare the cost. Our manures when mixed average 
a bare fraction over £4: per ton, while a price list of special mixtures 
recently sentto us, offers Wheat manure at £8, Barley manure £11, and 
what is termed corn manure at £8. We might with advantage con¬ 
tinue the comparison as to the quantity recommended per acre by the 
dealers and that which we advise. 
Several farrows of pigs have come during this cold weather, but 
serious losses have been avoided by keeping sows and pigs closely shut 
up in warm quarters. These pigs should prove more profitable than 
those which we have sold recently, for even pigs have fallen off in 
price of late. Small porkers answer best, and we really do not see how 
we can better turn large fat hogs to account than turning them into 
bacon and lard. Certainly if returns of the importations of these 
articles of commerce are to be trusted there ought to be a fair margin 
of profit upon them. We have just purchased some capital young sows, 
a cross-breed between a Suffolk sow and Berkshire boar. They are 
compact handsome animals, admirably adapted for breeding good 
chubby porkers of the sort so much in favour in the London markets. 
Pure-bred Berkshires answer well for such a purpose, only they do not 
yield so abundantly as a cross-bred animal. Cross-breeding in this, as 
in most other cases, proving to be more profitable than pure in-and-in 
breeding. 
HOGG AND WOOD S SEED EEPCRT FOR 1888. 
In submitting our annual report on the probable supplies of farm 
seeds for 1888 we have great pleasure in saying that there is the prospect 
of all sorts being abundant and low in price, with, perhaps, the one 
exception of Italian Rye Grass seed. Of Clovers, Eye Grasses, and Per¬ 
manent pasture seeds we have already secured good supplies of excellent 
quality, and these have been selected after having been tested by us to 
grow well, so that every confidence may be placed in them. 
English and Welsh Red, and Cow^geass, or Perennial Red 
Clover. —A fair yield is reported, at prices similar to the moderate 
rates current in 1887. The Hardy Welsh Red is in good suppiy, and we 
have secured some choice clean seed of the true sort. 
Foreign Red Clover. — There has been a large crop on the conti¬ 
nent of Europe, and an average crop in America. The seed is well 
mitured, and prices moderate. 
White Clover. —In England and abroad the yield is large, and 
prices lower than for some years past. Fine, clean, bold seed of English 
growth commands good prices. 
Alsyke Clover.—A large crop in most of the producing countries 
is reported, and rates are low. There are some strong, clean English 
seeds at very moderate prices. 
Trefoil or Yellow Clover.— The crop in England has been a 
medium one, and on the Continent the yield is reported small. Prices 
moderate. 
Perennial and Italian Eye Grass.— Of Perennial the crop is 
smaller than for some years past, and the quality is remarkably fine. 
Prices similar to those of 1887. Anything under 22 lbs. per bushel is 
very foul, and we recommend the heavier weights as best value. The 
Italian has proved a short crop, but the crop is exceptionally fine. 
Prices are higher than those current last year. 
Timothy, Cocksfoot, and other Natural Grasses are in fair 
supply, and, with one or two exceptions, at prices similar to those of the 
past season. Cocksfoot, Timothy, and Meadow Fescue are in increased 
demand for two and three years’ pasture, along with the usual mixture. 
Tares, Large Scotch and Foreign. —There is an abundant crop 
of excellent quality, and rates are lower than in 1887. 
Turnips and Mangolds. —The last crop was a fair one of nearly 
all sorts ; but the yellow varieties are in short supply, and rates will be 
somewhat higher than last season’s. 
Law'e’s JIanures. —These are again reduced in price, whilst the 
quality and condition are up to the usual high standard of excellence.— 
Hogg & Wood, Coldstream. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Potasb In Manures (A". J. A.'). —Sulphate of potash will not 
answer so well as muriate of potash in the mixtures of chemical 
manures, simply because it contains less potash. In pure sulphate of 
potash the per-centage of potassium is 44‘8 ; in pure muriate the per¬ 
centage is 62'3. The comparative value of the two can be estimated in 
the ratio 52-3 to 44-8, or for general purposes it may be stated that 
muriate contains nearly one-fifth more potassium than the sulphate, 
if each sample shows the same degree of purity. It must not be for¬ 
gotten, however, that the per-centage of purity varies. The literal 
meaning of the term sulphate, a salt of sulphuric acid ; and of muriate, 
a salt of muriatic acid ; a chloride might be taken as affoiding some in¬ 
dication of relative value, since it was proved to demonstration that all 
soil contains sufficient sulphur for plant requirements. Gladly do we 
answer such questions, affording as they do proof of thoroughness and 
an intelligent interest in a matter of such vital importance to all 
tillers of the soil. 
Field Fenclngr (IF. M. JR .').—The fencing we figured answers well 
both for cattle and sheep, and is very durable, a considerable length of 
it which we put up seventeen years ago being still intact. As you now 
state you have a supply of railway sleepers at hand which you can turn 
to account as supports for strained wire, by all means use them, as such 
a contrivance may answer your purpose, but if the old sleepers are of 
soft pine wood their duration as fence posts even when tarred will be 
brief. The description, price, and figure of fencing we gave should 
prove useful to you even if wanted only for comparison. It so happens 
that our experience of fencing is a wide one embracing most kinds of 
wood and iron, and the teaching of such experience is that a mere make¬ 
shift may prove a costly affair in the end. We may add that it was 
because we have experienced the vexation of having a very similar fence 
of strained wire tumble down from the speedy decay of the supports 
that we offered a word of caution. If you do use the sleepers we recom¬ 
mend you to have a stout iron straining post at each angle ; they are to 
be had at your post town very cheap, as we know some were purchased 
there a few months ago. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 32'40''N.; Long. 0° 8'0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAT. 
Bain 
1888. 
February. 
1 Barome- 
1 ter at 32® 
and Sea 
Level. 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
a . 
O'® 
Ti.a 
5o 
. . 
“pH 
Eh 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass 
Sunday.19 
Monday.20 
Tuesday .... 21 
Wednesday.. 22 
Thursday.... 23 
Friday .24 
Saturday .... 25 
Inches. 
29.473 
29.661 
29.776 
29.832 
29.988 
30.004 
29.945 
deg. 
30.8 
30.3 
34.3 
29.4 
27.8 
28.6 
81.4 
deg. 
30.5 
29.1 
32.7 
28.3 
26 9 
26.8 
30.6 
N.E. 
N.E. 
N.E. 
E. 
N.E. 
N.E. 
N. 
deg. 
36 0 
86.2 
36.1 
36.0 
35.7 
35.3 
35.1 
deg. 
37.0 
39.0 
37.5 
31.4 
29.8 
30.6 
37.8 
deg. 
28 0 
29.3 
80.3 
29.2 
26.7 
262 
20.3 
deg. 
679 
75 7 
49.9 
36.3 
36J» 
69.0 
67.3 
deg. 
27.3 
28.2 
29.6 
28.4 
26.5 
26.7 
17,1 
In. 
0.041 
0.013 
0.032 
59.811 
30.4 ' 29.3 1 
35.8 
34 7 
27.2 
67-5 
26.3 ^ e.l 8 ! 
REMARKS. 
19tb.—A little sunshine, but generally cloudy, with frequent slight showers of snow 
and sleet. 
20th.—Dull, with frequent slight snow till 10 A.M., then fine and bright till 3.30 P.M.; 
cloudy afterwi rds, and N.E. gale at night. 
2Ut.—Fine and generally bright morning, cloudy afternoon; high wind from K.E, 
22nd.—Cloudy and cold. 
23rd.—Sleet from 8-30 to 9,30 A M., whitening the ground ; dull cold day. 
24th.—Snow from 8 to 8.30 A. M , fine morning with a good deal of sunshine; cloudy with 
a little snow for an hour or two at midday, then bright again, 
25tb.—Snow till 10 A M., covering the ground to the depth of an inch, then generally fine 
and frequently bright, 
A very cold week— the coldest this year. Mean temperature SIS aiid frequent but 
Blightf alls of snow.—Q. J. SYMONS. 
