308 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 1 , 188 5. 
bear the test of results now ; to strive to pick a few golden 
grains out of the sands of time to add to our treasury of 
knowledge—knowledge that may be well termed golden, for 
it has been purchased at the cost of another year taken from 
the brief span of our lives. 
The weather continued fine till late in autumn last year ; 
did we turn the rare opportunity for cleaning the land to full 
account? Some did, but many a farmer did not, as we 
know to our cost, for we have recently had to let two farms 
at reduced rents owing in some degree to the foul condition 
of the land. Low prices for farm produce press heavily upon 
us now, but do not let us make bad worse by slovenly farm¬ 
ing. Full advantage was taken of the fine autumn to sow 
green crops for early feeding in spring as well as winter 
corn ; how invaluable were the earliest of those crops in the 
late spring of this year ! Yet how many farmers had no such 
crops to fall back upon, and what a serious matter the late 
spring was for them, for the hay crop of 1884 was a light one 
upon many a farm, especially where pastures were inferior. 
We recently had an application from a tenant for a reduction 
of rent because he found hard times press so heavily upon 
him. Well, his plea was met by a reasonable concession, 
but we could not accord him unqualified sympathy, for we 
knew he was a bungler who either through ignorance or care¬ 
lessness failed to turn his farm to best account, and who was 
wont to complain of hard times, yet had no thought that it 
was possible for him to do more for himself than he used to 
do when Wheat was 50s. or 60s. a quarter, and mutton could 
be sold by the carcass at Is. a pound to the butchers. Last 
April, when we called at his farm, his hayricks were almost 
finished, his store of roots running low, his cows turned out 
on bare pasture, his sheep upon the last field of Turnips, and 
there was no Thousand-headed Kale, Cattle Cabbages, or Eye 
upon the farm. We feel bound to add that in our opinion 
such poor practice and practitioners must soon become 
numbered with the things of the past. 
In the application of artificial manure to winter corn the 
plan we have so frequently recommended of giving a half 
dressing in the autumn at the time of sowing, and the other 
half dressing in February, was followed with complete success 
both for Wheat and winter Oats. The straw was stout and 
tall, but it was not so at the expense of grain, for it bore 
fine ears of well-developed corn. When the formula for these 
dressings was first published exception was taken to it on 
the score that the quantity of nitrate of soda and nitrate 
of potash given in it would induce a rampant straw growth 
with a deficiency of corn ; this we are glad to say proved 
decidedly erroneous, and results justify our strong recommen¬ 
dation of the dressings. By sowing artificial manure upon 
the grass in February we had a full crop of hay last year 
notwithstanding the drought, and similar practice this year 
gave results that were really wonderful, for our hay crop was 
fully double the bulk of that of last year, and the quality of 
the hay is excellent. No doubt late spring rain did much for 
the grass, and the extraordinary crop of hay was a result of 
favourable weather and judicious culture, nature and art in 
perfect accord. If only we co^ld always insure such perfect 
conditions, then should we indeed be able to grapple with our 
difficulties. At any rate we will keep on trying, doing all we 
can to improve our culture, avoiding extravagant expendi¬ 
ture, but doing all that is necessary to render and keep the 
Boil fertile. This last point is worthy close attention. Are 
we to retain our cattle yards, to go on breeding and rearing 
animals solely for the manufacture of farmyard manure ? 
or is it possible to avoid this slow and costly process by the 
use of artificial manures ? After some five years’ careful 
comparison of them we are bound to say that the manure 
carts must go, and so, too, must the special mixtures of the 
manure dealers. We must procure pure artificial manure 
from a reliable source, mix them ourselves upon the farm, 
and give close supervision to the time and manner of using 
them. To do this in the right way a farmer must know all 
about the soil and its requirements and it is precisely the 
man who will set himself to acquire the knowledge that will 
enable him to master this important step in farming, who 
will be most likely to overcome other difficulties arising from 
low prices and foreign competition. 
Regarding the soil simply as a medium for conveying food 
to plants, and not as an animal that will tire and require 
rest, we have only to take care that it always contains an 
ample store of sound and wholesome food, known under the 
comprehensive designation of fertility to insure full crops 
provided other points of culture receive equal attention. We 
must know, therefore, what elements of fertility each crop 
extracts from the soil, and in what proportion, too, if we are 
to apply manure correctly and economically. But we must 
not depend entirely upon purchased manures, rather striving 
to avoid all expenditure of money upon them that we can by 
growing our own manure in the form of green crops. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Trifolium seed under the genial influence of moist warm soil was so 
quick in germination that the plant is up and growing freely. Rye and 
winter Oats are sown, ploughing for Wheat goes briskly on, but the rain 
has much hindered the cleaning of foul iand. No opportunity of doing 
this should be missed, for land cleaned in autumn is at our disposal for 
eaily cropping in spring. Left foul till spring it cannot usually be got 
clean and ready for cropping till May or June. Land drains should be 
put in hand at once, for the soil is softened sufficiently by rain to render 
the work easy, and we strongly commend the plan of doing a certain 
quantity of draining yearly upon all wet land, for wet soil is a serious 
hindrance to work as well as to the healthy growth of any crop, no matter 
how heavily it may be manured. Let this be clearly understood, that 
undrained soil is fettered just as though a foul demon held it in its clutch. 
Cold, sluggish, and inert plants may live, but they cannot grow freely in 
it, for not only is the soil cold, but the temperature of the atmosphere close 
to the surface is lowered by excessive evaporation. Set free the water by 
drains and how great is the change 1 Superfluous rain water passes quickly 
through it, air enters freely, for its pores are open, and it can now receive 
and absorb the festilising gases from air and water and become charged 
with nutriment suitable for plant food. We have been threshing some 
corn for food, seed, and market. Peas and Barley of good quality bring a 
remunerative price now. Barley secured in good time is a bright, heavy 
sample, but late Barley is much discoloured and muBt be used for home 
consumption and for grinding. On some exposed land the crops suffered 
severely from high winds, a considerable proportion of the ears being 
beaten off, so that we are as yet unable to determine what is our average 
crop per acre. We have grown Barley this season upon five farms in 
light, medium, and heavy soil, and it will be interesting and useful to 
note and compare results later on. Except for home consumption no 
Wheat will be threshed at present, for we hope still that it will answer to 
withhold it from market for a few months. The most reliable statement 
that we have of the Wheat crop of the world shows a probable deficiency 
of 9,000,000 quarters, and this quantity ought to exercise a healthy 
influence upon the markete of this country eventually. The nights grow 
cold and store cattle must be taken in the yards and let run out by day. 
To expose cattle now to cold wind, early frost, and heavy rain, is to risk 
a heavy lose, for they cannot sustain exposure to inclement weather with 
impunity. 
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. 
1885. 
u w cfl_ 
geo a) QJ 
>■ 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
a . 
3 a 
Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperatnre. 
Rain 
September. 
3 So 1 - 1 
pa" a 
Dry. 
Wet. 
££ 
5o 
Mai. 
Min 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Sunday . 
20 
Inches. 
30.124 
deg. 
54.5 
deg. 
52.2 
N. 
deg. 
55 3 
deg. 
67.1 
drg. 
46 5 
desr. 
106.3 
deg. 
39.1 
In. 
0.012 
Monday. 
21 
20.129 
57.6 
53.4 
N. 
56.2 
65.7 
55.3 
108.6 
50.3 
— 
Tuesday. 
22 
3 .363 
54.6 
53.4 
S. 
55.9 
G9.6 
43.3 
103.6 
38.6 
— 
Wednesday .. 
23 
30.211 
G2.3 
58.8 
s.w. 
56.3 
67.2 
55.2 
91.9 
48.9 
0.131 
Thursday .... 
24 
30.116 
52.3 
48.2 
N.W. 
f 6.6 
60.7 
45.9 
95.7 
41.6 
— 
Friday. 
25 
20.899 
47.5 
43.8 
N.W. 
54.3 
54.8 
40.9 
1034 
36.3 
— 
Saturday .... 
26 
29.918 
45.0 
40.8 
jN. 
52.4 
54 5 
36.3 
92.8 
31.3 
— 
30.109 
53.4 
50.1 
55.3 
62.8 
46.2 
100.3 
40.9 
0.143 
REMARKS. 
20th.—Fine bright day. 
21st.—Rain early; afterwards fine and bright. 
22od.—Fog early; afterwards fine bright to warm. 
23rd.—Cloudy morning; wet afternoon and evening. 
24th.—Fine and bright. 
25th.—Generally fine but cloudy, with a slight shower about noon. 
26th.—Fine, bright and cold. 
Cooler than the average, and about 5° below the;; previous week, but drier anC 
brighter.—G. J. SXMON8. 
