298 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 1,1891. 
The example given last week of a run-out farm, and the 
account of its reclamation from a state of comparative barrenness 
to one of fertility, is but one of many which might be cited to 
show something of the many aspects in which land management 
presents itself to us. On that farm every stroke was the result of 
deliberate forethought, of a settled purpose and plan, and as we 
have shown by the wise and timely assistance of the landlord it 
was carried through to a successful end. Not, be it remembered, 
that we ever are at the end of such work. When a man under¬ 
takes to reclaim farmed-out land he must bear in mind that, 
however carefully restored, land of all kinds falls out of condition 
again quickly if again neglected. To turn a farm of 400 acres 
into what was practically a sheep run means one of two things— 
either that it is to be steadily maintained in a high state of fertility 
by an energetic and comprehensive system of cultivation, into 
which sheep folding enters largely, or it is to sink to the level of 
ordinary pasture, and the sheep left to roam at will. Cultivation 
here means drainage, weeding, the application of manure, the 
timely mowing of hay crops, all simple enough, yet so seldom done 
in the right way, if done at all. 
We say, therefore, get the farm into condition as carefully and 
quickly as may be, and keep it so. All our best farmers use 
enormous quantities of manure, they literally cram the soil with it, 
and it answers, just because it gives them crops altogether beyond 
the ordinary bulk, and of the highest quality. We have seen 
striking examples of this near large towns, and away in the country. 
As a general rule sheep farming on a large scale is a safe thing, but 
the farmer must know his way, and place no reliance on shepherds, 
and not too much on bailiffs. No, his must be the eye and hand 
to guide and control, and he will do better than others, because he 
is always looking forward. To purchase a breeding flock is expen¬ 
sive, and it must be done gradually and with due caution, but 
never purchase old or inferior animals, for that points to losses and 
vexation. 
It will of course be conceded that a dairy farm has its own 
peculiar claims. Can we turn our farm to account for such a pur¬ 
pose ? Quite possible, only here we have to consider locality before 
deciding upon the class of dairy farm that will answer our purpose 
best. Avoid a small cheese or butter dairy ; it will not answer, and 
there will be much disappointment and loss in the future. Either 
send the milk to a butter factory, or consign it to a salesman. Get 
it away from the farm morning and night, and the process will be 
simple enough, and there can be no question but it is profitable. 
There must be a clean warm cow house, and elevated cistern and 
refrigerator, and a station or factory cart. 
The cows are the rock on which so many home farmers split. 
Why buy pedigree stock ? Why buy any cows or bulls at fancy 
prices? We know a home farm where the accounts at the last 
audit were upwards of a thousand pounds to the bad. But then if 
good people will do such foolish things as to squander their 
employer’s money upon costly stock we say they court failure and 
ruin, for that was the practical outcome of this extravagance. We 
know another farm to which additions are made annually, upon 
which there is an annual loss of several hundreds. Here pedigree 
stock of all kinds is purchased and bred, but the result is perennial 
complaints and heart-burning. 
Now, why not obtaiq cows at prices well within the means of 
an ordinary tenant farmer ? Not mongrel?, but of such fine breeds 
as Red Polls, the Guernseys, or polled Aberdeens ? We are 
confident that excellent animals of such breeds can be had at an 
average price of £15 per head, and that is decidedly what we term 
a safe price, because any inferior milker can always be fattened 
profitably. For the milk market Dutch and Shorthorns often have 
preference, because they yield such large quantities of poor milk, 
which meets as ready a sale as the other. Yery curious is the deep 
milking property of a cow. We know a certain village in the 
midlands where the parson’s cow yields 6 gallons of milk night and 
morning, or 48 quarts daily. His man always takes two buckets 
to the milking, so abundant is the yield, and what is more to the 
purpose the milk is of excellent quality. Every farm in the parish 
is a dairy farm, yet not one of the farmers can approach the parson 
in this matter. Conceive of a herd of such cows ! Why not, why 
can we not have it ? Simply because of the little extra care and 
trouble involved ; yet that is how we approach perfection even in 
this matter by selection and careful breeding for half a lifetime. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
The corn has been cleared, and the threshing machine has sent its 
unsuccessful droning far and wide over the land, for as we are told so 
frequently at this season of the year, “farmers must have straw.” Of 
course they never want money ! But that is what the brisk corn thresh¬ 
ing really means, for there is harvest to pay for, and it has become so 
much a matter of hand to mouth with them that very few farmers have 
the money for harvest payments beforehand. Half a crown is given to 
each man when the agreement for price is made, and then the men 
should have £1 weekly on account, but do they? The whole state of 
things is rotten to the core. There can be no doubt that very many 
corn farmers are still sadly straitened in means, and that their best 
efforts are consequently crippled, and they are unable to bide their time 
for a market. They must have money at any cost, so the corn i» 
threshed prematurely and sold for what it will fetch. Well, we can 
only say to all and sundry, Don’t thresh your corn yet, for the Wheat 
will probably be soft, and the Barley on sweat in the stacks. Get at 
the land, and keep the ploughs and harrows going briskly. Every fine 
day is a golden opportunity for the future ; turn it to full account now, 
and it will make a week’s difference next spring. Get the land clean, 
and then ridge it at once, taking care that water furrows are carried 
through into the nearest ditch. There will be the land high and dry, 
cleansed by every passing shower, sweetened by every storm that blows, 
ready to your hand next spring like a bed of ashes. 
Pasture growth is so abundant that it is certain there will be much 
old fog to clear off at the back end of the current year. Just consider 
if you have the class of stock to do this. We think the home farmer’s 
dairy cows ought never to be put to this sort of grazing. In Leicester¬ 
shire, where the cheese making ends with October, and then most of 
the cows are “dried,” it appears to answer ; but we are bound to say the 
cows fell off sadly in condition last winter under this regimen, and a 
little inferior hay scattered once daily about the pasture. Of course 
their exposure to all weathers must tell upon condition, and it is 
questionable if they would have come out much better in spring bad 
they had plenty of really good food. All these things are comparative, 
but let the home farmer see that his cows have the best food and the 
best shelter. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
» or* oj 
Hygrome- 
s • 
*o • 
Shade Tem- 
Radiation 
1891. 
g <u 
ter. 
3 1=1 
rv_ O 
ego 
perature. 
Temperature. 
September. 
In 
On 
W ® c3 
Dry. 
Wet. 
So 
H 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Id. 
Sunday ...... 
20 
2!). 755 
61.3 
58.6 
S. 
58.8 
66.5 
57.2 
91 2 
52.9 
0.038 
Monday. 
21 
29.747 
53.3 
49.6 
w. 
58.0 
61.3 
49.3 
108.8 
46.8 
0.06S 
Tuesday .... 
22 
29.741 
54.4 
51.2 
N.E. 
56.5 
63.8 
46.4 
110.1 
42.6 
0.(52 
Wednesday.. 
23 
30.129 
55. G 
63.4 
N. 
55.9 
61.7 
49.2 
101.4 
42.7 
Thursday.... 
24 
30.239 
54.3 
54.9 
E. 
55.3 
66.6 
43.3 
88.1 
39.4 
0.193 
Friday . 
25 
39.247 
59.6 
57.8 
S.W. 
65.6 
69.6 
54.1 
105.9 
55.3 
Saturday .... 
20 
24.861 
60.6 
55.1 
s.w. 
55.2 
63.6 
55.0 
87.2 
47.8 
0.023 
29.930 
57.4 
54.3 
56.6 
64.3 
50.6 
99.4 
46.8 
0.209 
REMARKS. 
20th.—liright till 11 A.M., then generally cloudy, with occasional spots of ra'n. 
21st.—Overcast and showery till 9 a.m„ then generally bright till miu-day, and frequent 
showers after. 
22nd.—liright till ll A M., heavy rain at 11.20 and noon, then bright again, thunder from 
4.43 to 5 P.M., lightning at 4 43 P.M. 
23rd.—Cioudy till 4 P.M., then bright. 
£4th.—Fog early, bright sunshine from 9 A M. to noon, genera'ly cloudy, with spots of 
rain in afternoon. 
23th —Wet tarly, and generally bright after 10 A.M. 
26th —Squahy mornings, but fair ; show er about 11.30 A.M., then fine. 
An unsettled week w.th frequent showers, but a good deal of bright sunshine. 
Tempemture slightly above the average.—G. J. Symons. 
