503 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 10, 1891. 
hills and far away ” long before the soft, alluvial, marsh land 
becomes sodden by the heavy downpour of an average autumn. 
No doubt the comparison of good and bad practice, of wisdom and 
folly, is odious, but it is necessary. Repeatedly have we reminded 
our readers of the low temperature and heavy rain of October, in 
order to induce them to be ready with shelter for cows and store 
cattle, for all of them and not for a favoured few. 
Shelter, and how to obtain enough of it, is the second, not the 
first difficulty in the way of reform. The primary stumblingblock, 
the chief hindrance to a change for the better, is the obstinate 
adherence to custom, notwithstanding the heavy loss involved. 
Why, the value of the beasts lost from disease resultant from 
exposure would go very far to supply ample means of shelter. We 
are aware that very many farms are deficient in cattle-sheds or 
hovels, both in corn and grazing districts. A wise landlord will not 
hesitate to set right so great a wrong, affecting himself as well as 
his tenants. Enable a tenant to help himself by thus affording him 
the means of doing so, and thus indirectly prevent the losses which 
give such colour and force to his plea for rent reductions. 
Bad enough was it for Essex landlords when so many farms 
were thrown upon their hands, and when the men of Ayrshire 
came to negotiate for those farms a low rent was a certainty ; yet 
even that could not be obtained without an undertaking to con¬ 
siderably enlarge the homesteads. The shrewd Scotchmen saw the 
rock on which the old tillers of the soil had split. Not for them the 
corn-growing that had led to bankruptcy ; they intended dairy 
firming and nothing else ; they also intended having suitable yards 
and lodges to winter their cows in ; they have got them. In this 
instance it was not the setting right of a great wrong. The 
former tenants had not the stock to require more shelter, they 
were content, having no cause of complaint till beaten by hard 
times. Nor has the midland farmer always a just plea for the 
hovels of which hs ha3 such urgent need. Many an instance is 
known to us where a man has begun with a small holding and 
sufficient buildings, more land has been hired—often from another 
landlord—the herd of stock is enlarged till there is no possibility of 
housing it in winter. The cattle have to rough it out in the open, 
under the very trying conditions of winter keeping. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Ewes timed for lambing early in the new year must now be kept off 
heavy arable land either in a park or meadow, where they run no risk of 
worrying by stray dogs, or any sudden fright or disturbance. Let 
shepherds be alert always to protect their charge, especially if there is a 
pack of hounds in the neighbourhood. So many people from a distance 
ride to hounds now that reckless riding among sheep is by no means 
uncommon. The shepherd should, of course, be there to prevent it. As 
a general rule he ought not to be long absent from his flock at any time 
now. Twice recently have we found ewes cast—that is to say, they had 
rolled upon their backs and could not get up. We were in time to save 
the lives of both, but one could hardly stand when set upon its legs, 
so exhausted was it from its prolonged struggles. 
The ewes have plenty of grass, and a little trough food consisting 
of chopped Barley straw and a pint of crushed Oats per head daily. 
This tends to keep them in sound condition, and corrects any undue 
tendency to scour. We want strong healthy lambs, and to obtain 
them must have strong, healthy, well-fed ewes. Very little fear i%. 
there of abortion among ewes so cared for and fed with heat-giving, 
nourishing food. Compare such treatment with that of ewes out in 
folds with watery Turnips for food, and mud so deep that it is difficult 
for the sheep to walk at all. Every time a leg is withdrawn from the 
mud the effort is so great as to put a severe strain upon the body. Surely 
it is no wonder that abortion and foot-rot are rampant among such sheep. 
Never should ewes be placed in such folds before lambing. Hoggets may 
and do thrive in them, but we never allow ewes to have Turnips before 
the lambing. Afterwards, when ewes and lambs are doing well, a field 
of late-sown Swedes is a great boon, especially if the winter has been 
mild and the top3 are green. The lambs run forward and eat off the tops 
and very much of the bottoms as they gain size. 
Timely attention should be given now to having plenty of dry food at 
hand in case of snow. A good stock of sweet chaff and crushed Oats, with 
a stack of Pea straw (for the sheep to have in racks), near an upland 
meadow well sheltered from cold winds, is a guarantee of good feeding, 
whatever the weather may be. Do not wait till the snow comes, but have 
all in readiness now, and so be practically independent of the weather. 
ROOT AND SEED STANDS AT ISLINGTON. 
xt 1 'f H r E ,. annual Exhibition of the Smithfield Club in the Agricultural 
Hall, Islington, is particularly interesting this year, and the entries are 
much larger than in the two past years. Cattle, sheep, and pigs, as 
usual, occupy the greater portion of the ground floor, and the galleries 
are devoted to the lighter forms of agricultural machinery, together 
with the imposing stands of roots and seeds from the various large firms 
which make a special feature of the farm seed business. To the latter 
we must, in accordance with our custom, devote a few words. 
Turning to the right after ascending the stairs near the offices, the 
first stand which attracts attention is that of Messrs. Sutton & Sons, 
Reading, which is arranged in a very effective manner, semi-circular 
mounds of handsome Swedes and Mangolds occupying the upper part, 
with samples of seeds below in tasteful cases, and examples of the chief 
specialties in other departments with some of the honours they have 
secured. Among the Swedes the variety which principally attracts 
attention is Crimson King, a tankard-shaped purple Swede, introduced 
in 1883, and which has lately come into such great prominence as a 
prizewinner and an enormous cropper. Champion Swede still main¬ 
tains its reputation which it has borne since it was first sent out by the 
Reading firm in 1857 for general cropping. The roots are slightly 
smaller than the Crimson King, very hardy, growing well into the 
ground. Good roots are also exhibited of Sutton’s Stubble Swede, a 
valuable variety which often succeeds well when sown after the corn 
crop has been removed. Among the Turnips Purple-top Mammoth, 
Imperial Green Globe, Snowball, and Favourite, a variety which gained 
the Highland Society’s gold medal in 1877 as the best new or improved 
root, are represented by fine specimens. Of Mangolds the Golden 
Tankard seems to improve year by year in their quality, shape, and in 
depth of golden flesh. Crimson Tankard is also a great acquisition. It 
has all the useful qualities of the Long Red with the advantage of a 
tankard-shaped root, which is much easier to remove, and the roots are 
less fibrous-rooted than those of the Long Red. Yellow Globe is also a 
favourite Mangold. Disease-resisting Potatoes and samples of Maize 
ripened in England are also shown. 
Next to be noticed is the handsome exhibit from Messrs. Carter <k Co., 
High Holborn, which is as full of interest as ever, and the roots shown 
are remarkable for their clean even appearance. Very conspicuous is a 
central mound of the Elephant Swede. It is said that thirty valuable 
cups have in a few years been awarded to this variety, including the 
Gloucester county cup, value £21, two years in succession ; the Duke of 
Grafton’s prize cup, £20 ; the Ledbury Hunt cup ; Gloucester City 
Corporation, £10 10s. cup, two years in succession ; Messrs. Proctor’s 
first prize of £15 15s. in 1890 ; and Lord Wantage’s prize of £5 5s. in 
Berks the same year. It is also said that last year it was grown by 
20,000 cultivators in various parts of England, Ireland, and Scotland. 
Messrs. Carter devote an important area to the exhibit of enormous 
specimens of the select stocks of Warden Prize, Mammoth Prize Long 
Red, Golden Tankard, and Golden Intermediate Mangolds. There are 
also to be seen excellent examples of some of the most popular varieties 
of white and yellow-fleshed Turnips, the latter being more especially 
identified with the business of the colonial flock-master, with whom these 
Turnips are deservedly popular. Additional interest attaches to the 
examples of grass seed for laying down land for permanent pasture, 
illustrating their well known and successful system. 
Upon the opposite side of the gallery Messrs. Webb & Sons, 
Wordsley, Stourbridge, have one of their characteristic displays of 
excellent roots and seeds, a rather different system of arrangement being 
adopted than with the other stands, the roots being placed in deeper and 
nearly perpendicular slopes. They represent the special varieties which 
have gained so many prizes, such as Imperial and Giant King Swedes, 
Mammoth Long Red Mangold, and Invincible Turnip, all, with many 
others of well proved merit. Kinver Chevalier Barley is conspicuous 
amongst the grains, but several other fine Barleys, Oats, and Wheats 
are included. Potatoes and other vegetables are well shown, with 
grass and flower seeds of all kinds. 
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. 
1891. 
November 
and 
December. 
| Barometer 
| at 32°, and 
| S?a Level. 
Hygrometer. 
Direc¬ 
tion of 
Temp, 
of soil 
at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
.9 
*3 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Wind. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun 
On 
G-rass. 
Sunday 
29 
Inchs. 
29.704 
deg. 
45.7 
deg. 
45.6 
S.W. 
deg. 
40.4 
deg. 
47.4 
deg. 
39.4 
deg. 
51.0 
deg. 
34.8 
Inchs. 
0.010 
Monday .. 
30 
29.817 
36.6 
36.4 
S.E. 
40.9 
45.0 
34.0 
47.7 
23 4 
0.019 
Tuesday .. 
1 
29.865 
44.5 
43.7 
S.W. 
40.4 
49.8 
35.8 
65.3 
27.3 
0.695 
Wednesday 
2 
29.409 
46.9 
45.9 
S.W. 
41.9 
50.6 
45.0 
66.7 
41.6 
— 
Thursday.. 
3 
29.745 
49.9 
48.9 
S.W. 
42.6 
56.4 
40.1 
57.1 
31.9 
0.059 
Friday 
4 
30.016 
53.0 
52.9 
S.W. 
44.9 
55 3 
49.6 
71.1 
48.1 
— 
Saturday .. 
5 
30.132 
54.7 
53.1 
S.W. 
45.7 
57.2 
46.7 
61.4 
39.7 
0.062 
29.813 
47.3 
46.6 
42.4 
51.7 
41.5 
60.0 
36.0 
0.845 
REMARKS. 
29th.—Wet till 9 A.M.; overcast and damp day.' 
30th.—Wet fog early, and dense yellow fog from 10 A.M. to 11.30 A.M.; then showery or 
drizzly, and fog again in evening. 
1st.—Bright morning; overcast afternoon ; damp evening: wet night. 
2nd.—Wet till 7 A.M.; bright and fine after 8.S0 a m , and bright night. 
3rd—Overcast throughout. 4th.—Damp early ; bright fine diy. 
5th.—Overcast early ; cloudy day. 
A mild and damp week. Temperature about 5° above tho average, and nearly 9° 
above that of the preceding week.—D. J. SYMONS. 
