102 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COT1AOE GARDENER. 
[ July 30, 1885. 
for horses, cattle, and sheep, and we have no other cereal 
equal to it for such purposes. Then, too, as oatmeal for 
pigs and poultry it is of almost equal value, and a full 
supply of this corn can always be home-grown, which is a 
point to be remembered. Before all things let a farm 
be self-supporting, and let its produce be turned to the best 
account for the wants of the household and farmyard. In¬ 
sist upon a fair, or rather sufficient, proportion of land being 
devoted to Oat culture. Do not pay much heed to talk about 
four-course shifts, or to the popular fallacy that Oats, or in¬ 
deed any farm crops, may not be grown two years in succes¬ 
sion upon the same piece of land ; but do take care to learn 
exactly how to cultivate the land, especially as regards the 
right use of manures upon it, and then you may go on year 
after year sowing Oats, Wheat, or Barley upon the same 
land—aye, and expect full crops too. In proof of the sound¬ 
ness of our teaching we might adduce many an instance, but 
it may suffice to say that the Winter Oats now being harvested 
is the third crop of Oats in succession from the same piece 
of land, and it is by far the finest of the three. We have 
found Maize occasionally being used as a substitute for 
Oats ; but apart from our decided objection to the purchase 
of corn for home consumption, we know that one hundred 
parts each of Oats and oatmeal contain a larger per-centage 
of the most important nourishing constituents—albuminoides, 
carbohydrates, and fats—than equal quantities of Maize and 
Maize meal, and in Oat straw we have a nutritive article of 
food for sheep and cattle. 
An average or ordinary crop of Oats yields forty-five bushels 
per acre; under high culture it is so much more as to afford 
a valuable lesson upon the profit of high farming. No better 
illustration of the condition of land can be had than from a 
crop of Oats. Straw and corn ripe for harvest may be seen 
at heights ranging from 6 inches up to 6 feet, according to 
the condition of the soil in which it was grown. In making 
a calculation when the land is allotted into due proportions 
for the various crops, it is well to take the yield of an ordi¬ 
nary crop for our base, and, at any rate, to make sure that 
our system of culture will afford equal if not superior results. 
In doing this we have to consider to what our requirements 
for a year amount. The size and age of animals must all 
be taken into account, and a fair margin allowed for any 
extraordinary demand which may arise. There need be no 
feeling of anxiety about any surplus, for good Oats are always 
a marketable commodity, first-class home-grown Oats often 
selling for 10s. per quarter more than inferior foreign samples. 
Grey Winter Oats should be sown in September or October, 
and Black Tartarians as early in spring as the condition of 
the soil admits of. For soil of light or medium quality pre¬ 
ference is given to Winter Oats, for the important reasons 
that they are what may be termed a safe crop, the germina¬ 
tion of the seed being quick and certain in the warm moist 
soil, the strong early growth affording a valuable supply of 
green food for sheep in spring, and the corn being ripe for 
harvest during the present month. In the culture of Spring 
Oats there is much more uncertainty. We cannot always 
have the soil in good tilth for early sowing, and when the 
soil is late there is risk of having small light corn and short 
straw, and the harvest is much later than that of the Winter 
Oats. Especial care is taken to have corn and straw well 
ripened before it is taken to the rick to avoid all risk of 
musty straw, which is certainly unpalatable for the cattle to 
eat, It is for this reason that we have ceased to bind up 
Oats into sheaves, and we find it answer much best to mow 
them into swathes, which, if the crop be a heavy one, may 
require turning once, and then to collect and cart them 
loosely to the rick. A heavy crop of Oats cut and bound 
into sheaves is frequently carted with so much unripe straw 
in the middle of each sheaf so as to cause violent heating 
and subsequent mildew in the rick ; or if the weather proves 
very wet between the reaping and carting the sheaves may 
become so wet that the bonds must be unfastened and the 
sheaves opened to be dried by sun and wind. 
It is not our intention to give exhaustive details of cul¬ 
ture in these articles, but rather to furnish practical hints to 
prompt and assist in the formation of plans which may be 
brought to maturity by Michaelmas, when the farming year 
ends and the work of another year of ploughing, sowing, 
reaping, and harvesting again begins. Oats have been given 
a prominent position for the reasons mentioned, and that 
timely attention may be given to the preparation of the seed 
bed. We have a field of twelve acres which has been a bare 
fallow this year against our wish; but we could not well 
prevent it, for when the farm was taken in hand some three 
months ago we found thirty acres of bare fallow upon it. 
All that was possible has been done to remedy this bad prac¬ 
tice, and we have managed to have eighteen acres cleaned 
of foul weeds and sown—a small portion with roots, and the 
remainder with White Mustard to be ploughed in. The bar© 
twelve acres is being ploughed for the fourth time, and we 
have decided that it shall be sown with Winter Oats, for 
which an autumn and spring dressing of home-mixed arti¬ 
ficial manures will be used. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
On two poor farms we have a second growth of Red Clover that ra 
neither instance will be sufficiently strong for mowing. About sixty old 
ewes drafted from the breeding flock have been sent to one of these farms 
to be folded upon the Clover, the folds to be so small as to ensure a. 
prompt clearance of the Clover, and a tolerably rich dressing of manure, 
to which a pound of oilcake a day to each sheep will contribute materially. 
The folds will be so managed that ploughing may follow closely. A 
similar number of old ewes will be purchased for a similar purpose upon 
the other farm. It was our original intention to purchase some more 
lambs for folding, but upon consideration, and bearing in mind the 
poverty of the soil, we decided to give preference to old sheep, and shall 
be content if when they are all sold we are able to clear expenses, looking 
for our profit in the soil. Our 400 home-bred lambs have since the wean¬ 
ing been divided into two flecks and sent to two outlying farms. All the 
best ewe lambs will eventually go into the breeding flock, and the re¬ 
mainder will be sold in spring as fat hoggets. Mixed crushed com at 
the rate of half a pound a head daily should be given these lambs, hut as w& 
cannot spare it them, they are having the same quantity of Waterloo cake, 
which from the mixture of wholesome nutritive food contained in it is. 
admirably adapted for lambs. It is our intention to put all the ewe 
lambs to the tup in November, and in view of this they are now having 
cake with the other lambs, so as to render them as strong and forward in 
growth as possible by that time. The lambs were all dipped soon after 
the weaning, and the ewes have now also been dipped. We always wait 
about a month or six weeks after the shearing before dipping to allow 
time for any wounds caused by careless clipping to heal. All sheep 
suffering from foot rot have been separated from the others, and till the 
dipping was done especial watch was kept against attacks of fly. Water 
is taken daily to any of the sheep having no pond or stream in the 
pasture, for it is a cruel thing to keep them without water in hot sultry 
weather. Do not forget our advice to fold sheep upon new permanent 
pastures. For the first two years sheep should never be suffered to roam 
at will upon them, or many of the grasses will suffer either from being 
eaten too closely or being let run to seed. Pass sheep over the pasture in 
folds only two or three times, according to the growth, giving them corn 
or cake each time, and the grass will be eaten fairly and be well manured 
at the same time. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32-40" N.; Long. 0° 8'0" W.; Altitude, 111 leet 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
Rain 
1885. 
July. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32« 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
| Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
dee. 
deg. 
deer. 
deg. 
doer 
dee. 
dee. 
In. 
Sunday ... 
*9 870 
64.5 
60.3 
S.E. 
630 
72.2 
59 8 
112.6 
58.1 
0.13$ 
Monday .... 
29.879 
65.8 
61.7 
W. 
62.8 
73.5 
60.3 
121.2 
58.8 
— 
Tuesday... 
30.297 
61.9 
59.7 
N.E. 
62.7 
72.7 
58.4 
102.2 
52.9 
— 
Wednesday 
.. 2i 
30.447 
67.1 
58.3 
S.E. 
C2.7 
76.3 
54 9 
115.2 
49.2 
— 
Thursday . 
.. 23 
30.375 
63.2 
56.7 
N.E. 
63 2 
78.2 
48 7 
119.4 
40.5 
_ 
Friday. 
30.307 
63 8 
57.8 
E. 
63.5 
79.7 
49. t 
1204 
41.9 
Saturday . 
.. 25 
30.334 
69.7 
60.7 
N. 
64 2 
88.0 
51.3 
121.6 
45.1 
— 
30.216 
65.1 
59.3 
63.2 
77.2 
54.7 
11G.1 
49.5 
0.13$ 
REMARKS. 
19th.—Cloudy; heavy showers in afternoon. 
20th.—Fine, but not bright. 
2lst.—Cloudy morning ; fine afternoon, with a little sunshine. 
22nd.—Beautifully fine. 
23rd.—Fine summer day. 
24th.—Fine bright morning, and nearly cloudless day. 
25th.—Fine and hot, but slightly hazy. 
A week of fine summer weather. Rain much below the average, the total for the past 
six weeks being only linch.—G. J. SYMONS., 
