652 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 17, 1885. 
alone. On many a farm we find a practical answer to this 
query in the pleasant guise of the mixed herbage of alternate 
husbandry. There we do not find the Clovers altogether 
discarded. The best of them are retained—Perennial Red 
Clover, Alsike, Trefoil, Cow Grass, and White Clover are 
now mixed with such Grasses as Cocksfoot, Meadow Foxtail, 
Timothy, Meadow Fescue, and Perennial Rye Grass for two, 
three, or four years’ layers, and with good culture we obtain 
a crop of greater bulk, nutriment, and value, and we effect 
a considerable saving in both men and horses. Upon farms 
where the husbandry has always been of a mixed character 
such layers found a place even before Wheat became so cheap, 
but in the corn-growing districts of the eastern counties 
Clover pure and simple is still to the fore. No doubt a few 
acres of Red or White Clover seed often prove very profitable ; 
but that is a matter somewhat wide of the question, and a 
general recognition of the importance of mixed layers is 
inevitable sooner or later. We have reason to fear that the 
majority of farmers are slow to realise the important bearing 
which such changes have upon results, for so many appear 
content to struggle on without a thought of change or an 
attempt at improvement. Reductions of rent are certainly 
asked for and granted, but in common fairness farmers are 
bound to see if their system of cropping and cultivation of 
the soil is the best. It is not right to regard with contempt 
every attempt at improvement. Be very sure we all have still 
much to learn. This is an age of progress, and agriculture 
must not lag behind ; only let us be careful to put each new 
thing to a severe test before venturing upon the application 
of it to practice on a large scale, and we cannot go far wrong. 
If we can, by means of a two or three years’ layer, obtain an 
annual supply of nutritious fodder of even greater bulk than 
an ordinary Clover layer affords, and at the same time avoid 
fully two-thirds of the expense of cultivation over a series of 
years, it is obvious that the plan will make its way in spite 
of whatever opposition may be raised against it. Opposition ? 
Yes, undoubtedly ; for there has never been any attempt yet 
made for the promotion of real progress that has not been 
opposed in some way or other. Such opposition may not be 
active, it may be only passive inertion; but it exists never¬ 
theless, and the best way to overcome it is to show results 
which cannot be ignored. Tangible facts are what farmers 
understand, yet the value of alternate husbandry, even in 
theory, is so palpable as to arrest the attention of every intel¬ 
ligent thoughtful man. 
The careful selection of pure seed is another indication of 
progress, and we should all gladly use such seed exclusively 
if only our great seed merchants would be somewhat more 
reasonable in their charges. Surely from 80s. to 90s. per 
quarter for seed Wheat and Barley is altogether beside the 
mark in these hard times. No doubt, a certain extra outlay 
is involved in the cultivation and cleaning of such seed, but 
we confidently venture to assert that a reduction in price 
would lead to a much larger sale. There is no such thing 
possible as a monopoly of pure seeds, and the high prices at 
which they are now sold must tend to tempt other seedsmen 
to enter the field; but we certainly question the wisdom of 
a policy leading to such a result. By all means let us strive 
to procure pure seed from the best source, if only it can be 
had at a reasonable rate, for no matter how well we may 
cultivate the land, if we do not use good seed we cannot 
obtain really good crops. Grass seed from the hay loft and 
the screenings of corn have been used again and again upon 
the same farm, where it was by no means uncommon to hear 
it said that the land was not good for this or that sort of 
corn, or that it was unsuitable for pastures. Can we wonder 
that such careless slovenly practice leads to failure ? There 
must be thoroughness in every detail of our work—drainage, 
ploughing, the destruction of perennial weeds, a fine seed 
bed, fertile soil, the best seed sown in good time, due care in 
harvesting the crop, in building and thatching of ricks—aye, 
and even in threshing and dressing the corn ; everythin < is 
worthy of and must have our best attention. Care, watch¬ 
fulness, and sound judgment are indispensable in the man¬ 
agement of such work, the important points where error is 
apt to creep in and spoil our work being only learnt by ex¬ 
perience. Corn seed, foul with the seed of Charlock and 
other weeds, or containing Cockles, should never be sown. 
Mixtures of Grass seed, whether for permanent pasture or 
for alternate husbandry, should always be purchased subject 
to analysis, for adulteration is still very prevalent. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
The whole of the cows and store cattle have been withdrawn from 
the pastures since October, and they are permanently settled in the 
yards for the winter. Close attention is given to the condition of both 
yards and lodges. The drainage of the yards is kept open so as to pre¬ 
vent any serious accumulation of water among the litter. Damp and 
sodden litter and dung is cleared out of the lodges regularly every morn¬ 
ing, and due care taken to have plenty of dry clean litter put down for 
bedding. Shelter, warmth, cleanliness, with gentle kindly treatment, 
are of equal importance with good wholesome food and pure water. Now 
that the value of straw for cattle food is more clearly understood than it 
ever has been, it is much used without hay ; straw, chaffing, root-pulping, 
and a mixture of the two articles of diet being the ordinary fare of store 
cattle. Dairy cows must not have Turnips, but a mixed diet of Carrots 
or Mangolds with chaff and bran. Repeatedly have we called attention, 
to the value of bran for dairy cows in winter, We regard it as indis¬ 
pensable, for it is sweet, wholesome, nutritious food, and when given 
regularly night and morning it insures a full yield of milk. We recently 
tasted some butter quite unfit for use either at table or for cooking ; it 
was bitter to the palate, and had an offensive odour, all of which was 
owing to an unsuitable diet. Cows often give evidence of a morbid 
appetite by eating foul litter saturated with filth ; or if let out upon pasture 
late in autumn they will always eat fallen Walnut leaves if they can get 
at them, and then both milk and butter is spoilt. Turnips, Swedes, oil¬ 
cake, and an excessive allowance of Cabbage all spoil the milk. We 
cannot be too careful about this matter, and we may add that care and 
painstaking both in the management of the cows and in the dairy are 
well repaid by the excellence of all the dairy produce. There need be no 
uncertainty about this, for dairy management is a very simple affair, 
provided it is done in the right way. 
The killing and curing of bacon pigs is now being done as fast as 
possible, a fresh batch of bacon and hams being put in pickle every month 
as that which is already pickled is taken to the smoking house. Pigs not 
required for home consumption are being sent into the market as fast 
as they become ready, those of compact growth being sold as porkers for 
the London market at from 35s. to 40s. apiece, and bacon pigs at from 
£4 to £5 apiece. We have purchased a considerable number of pigs at 
about 16s. apiece to consume inferior corn, of which we have so much 
just now, and they soon reach the porker size, and are then sold. We 
shall turn over several hundred pounds in this way before spring, and bo 
turn all our tail or discoloured corn to profitable account. 
Chickweed. —I think that the Chickweed seed spoken of at page 530 
was probably carried by the wind. At the garden at Wisley we have a 
large heap of burnt rubbish ashes entirely green with Chickweed. In this 
case any seed in the soil must have been destroyed by fire.— George F. 
Wilson. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8'O''W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
a 
as 
tf 
1885. 
December. 
1 Barome¬ 
ter at 32« 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
Boil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday . 
6 
29.506 
36.2 
35.4 
N.E. 
42.0 
41.4 
35.0 
48.8 
28.6 
— 
Monday. 
7 
29.846 
37.2 
34.0 
E. 
41.4 
40.7 
34.9 
48.6 
31.9 
— 
Tuesday. 
8 
30.076 
28.2 
25.5 
N. 
40.3 
37.2 
27.6 
66.3 
22.3 
— 
Wednesday .. 
9 
30.404 
27.2 
24.9 
N.W. 
39.2 
36.4 
24.7 
60.8 
18.6 
0.012 
Thursday .... 
10 
30.352 
27.8 
26.8 
N. 
38.2 
36.2 
26.4 
55.4 
21.8 
— 
Friday. 
11 
30.6'7 
24.2 
23.6 
N.W. 
37.5 
33.8 
22.3 
51.7 
15.4 
— 
Saturday .... 
12 
3J.S79 
32.7 
31.6 
E. 
36.7 
39.4 
23.1 
40.0 
18.7 
— 
30.153 
30.5 
28.8 
39.3 
37.9 
27.7 
51.6 
22.5 
0.012 
REMARKS. 
6th.—Morning bright ; dull after, with spots of rain. 
7th.—Generally cloudy, but bright about noon. 
8th.—Fine, bright, and cold ; freezing nearly all day. 
9th.—Bright and cold ; snow late in evening, about O'l inch deep. 
10th.—Sharp frost; fine. 
11th.—Very cold, but bright; slight fog at night. 
12th.—Fair, but a little fog; frost gone by the evening. 
A week of fine dry winter weather, with skating in and round London on Friday and 
Saturday. Temperature about 14° below that of the preceding week, and nearly 109 
below the average.—G. J. Symons. 
