596 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 81, 1885. 
AGRICULTURAL PROGRESS. 
The cultural details for laying down land to permanent 
pasture given in our last paper had reference only to foul 
land ; and although it is neither the only nor best way of 
doing this work from a general point of view, yet it is un¬ 
doubtedly the best course to take in the treatment of land 
that at one time would have been left idle as long fallow for 
a year. To farmers who intend laying down land next 
spring we say, Adapt your plans to the circumstances in 
which you are placed, only remember clean land is a sine qua 
non, and if your corn land is clean then by all means sow 
the mixture of Grasses and Clovers with a corn crop, for we 
can hardly recommend anyone to lose a year’s crop in this 
work, nor is it necessary. It was only a week or two ago 
that we saw an exceedingly good piece of young pasture, the 
seeds of which were sown with Wheat last year. The yield 
of grain was fully 48 bushels per acre, and that, too, after 
close feeding off of the Wheat plant by sheep in spring. 
The gentleman upon whose estate we saw this admirable 
example of agricultural progress, has been actively engaged 
in laying down farm after farm in permanent pasture for the 
last twelve years, and an excellent pioneer is he in this work. 
He never allows such slovenly practices as letting land go out 
of cultivation and become just one bed of couch grass : he will 
have neither that nor any haphazard growth of native Grasses. 
The land has been cleaned and thoroughly stirred by steam 
cultivation, and then the Grass mixture has been sown either 
with or without a corn crop, as appeared most desirable. 
There has been no blind following of set rules, but each farm 
—or rather each field—has been treated on its merits. 
Winter Oats were sown in several fields with excellent results, 
full crops of straw and grain being obtained after the flock 
had been turned in to feed off the Oats closely in spring, the 
Grasses and Clovers coming perfectly well afterwards. Some 
of the young pastures have been mown from the first, but then 
this has been done intelligently, due care being taken to always 
mow early just as the Grasses were coming into bloom, and 
before there was any chance of seed development. All the 
seed has been procured from the best sources, no doubtful 
sample being allowed to pass muster. It may be mentioned 
that for the sowings of last spring all the leading seedsmen 
were invited to supply samples of seed subject to analysis by 
Professor Carruthers, but only a very few found themselves 
in a position to respond to it. This fact is mentioned as 
tending to confirm our statement of the extensive prevalence 
of adulteration in many of the mixed samples still brought 
upon the markets. 
At each homestead upon the estate where such good work 
is being done, all the barns and outbuildings are being re¬ 
paired and enlarged in readiness to afford shelter to the 
various flocks of sheep, for this estate will eventually become 
one huge sheep farm, in combination with the growth of 
herbage for hay and silage. No silos have been built, as 
preference is given to silage stacking, which next season will 
probably be tried extensively. The mention of sheep reminds 
us of the importance of the careful grazing of young pastures 
for the first two years. Sheep ought never to be turned into 
them then to roam at will, but to be passed over them in folds 
as often as becomes necessary, except in wet weather, when 
they should be kept off altogether, as trampling while the land 
is soft injures the young seeds. Nor must they be kept in the 
fold so long as to eat off the young growth too closely ; but be 
passed over tbe entire pasture quickly, with plenty of whole¬ 
some nourishing dry food in troughs, no folding to be done, 
or sheep let on the young seeds after Octobor till after the 
second year. Some careful farmers will not Buffer an old 
sheep to come on the seeds at all in the first year, only lambs 
being used for fear of harm being done to the plants. By the 
exercise of care in this matter we promote the growth of the 
young herbage, and we enrich the soil in the most economical 
way, avoiding heavy bills for manure. If sown with a com 
crop the young seeds have the benefit of the dressing of arti¬ 
ficial manure, which we have repeatedly advised to be given 
early in spring. It is really a half dressing for winter corn, 
the other half having been given in autumn. The half dress¬ 
ing per acre is £ cwt. nitrate of potash, \ cwt. nitrate of 
soda, £ cwt. steamed bone flour, J cwt. superphosphate, and 
i cwt. coprolite. For sowing with Grass seeds alone in spring 
or summer, 5 cwt. per acre of fish guano is frequently recom¬ 
mended. We have not tried it, but the gentleman to whose 
interesting work reference has been made has used it, and he 
has found the results satisfactory. It is by no means intended 
to recommend the laying down of the whole of a farm to per¬ 
manent pasture ; there must still be a fair proportion of 
arable land for the growth of roots and corn for feeding pur¬ 
poses, and for such green crops as Rye, Tares, Cabbage, and 
Thousand-headed Kale. About a hundred acres will be re¬ 
served for this purpose upon the estate we have mentioned. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Many odd jobs are now in band, such as trimming the sides of roads, 
carting gravel for repairs, tiles for drains, faggots, and timber. We seize 
every opportunity of doing all such extra work now, and hope to clear off 
arrears before spring corn sowing comes round again. There is still some 
ploughing to be done, but we only turn to this in favourable weather. 
Lime was also carted from tbe kiln during the frost, and we are now 
having our heaps of road sidings mixed with caustic lime, care being 
taken to turn over and mix the heap as the lime becomes slaked. Several 
men are now engaged in planting Holly, Yew, Box, Mabonias, and Laurel 
for game covert among the trees in ornamental belts and clumps ; others 
are cutting down trees and underwood for faggots, poles, hedging wood, 
and other purposes. Hazel is now much in demand for making hoops, 
and of timber we find a prompt sale for Oak, Ash, Beech, and Willow. 
We have been cutting down many trees for estate purposes, especially 
for field gates and posts. Some large logs of Poplar will eventually be 
turned to account for weather-boarding, laths, ml a variety of purposes 
inside buildings. It answers well for sides and doors of lodges if all 
exposed parts are at once tarred. The tar is put on hot and well rubbed 
in. We get tar from the gasworks at 3d. per gallon, and we are having 
every part of all wooden or boarded structures that is at all exposed to 
the weather well tarred. The condition of asphalt roofs should be looked 
into and hot tar put on where neces c ary, finely sifted sand being sprinkled 
thickly upon the tar immediately after it is applied to the asphalt. We 
have extensive repairs being done to farm buildings. This is work 
requiring special study, affording as it does scope for skill in improve¬ 
ments and any necessary rearrangements. Soundness, strength, connec¬ 
tion, unity, and utility are among the chief features demanding close 
attention in such work. We may add that economy must not be lost 
sight of, for costly farm buildings cannot be undertaken lightly now. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 61° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
Bain 
1885. 
December. 
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. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday . 
20 
30.150 
43.5 
41.8 
S.E. 
40.8 
47.4 
37.6 
47.8 
36.8 
— 
Monday. 
21 
30.152 
45.6 
44.7 
s.w. 
41.4 
48 7 
42.9 
50.4 
34.9 
——■ 
Tuesday. 
22 
30.275 
44.0 
42.8 
N.E. 
42 3 
47.8 
43.7 
50 3 
41.7 
•— 
Wednesday .. 
23 
30.576 
32.7 
31.6 
N. 
41.8 
43.7 
31.8 
49.6 
26.6 
— 
Thursday .... 
24 
30.505 
31.4 
29.7 
n.e. 
40.3 
39 8 
30.4 
52.7 
22.3 
— 
Friday. 
25 
30.422 
32.5 
31.8 
s. 
39.0 
41.6 
26.6 
40.8 
22.1 
— 
Saturday .... 
26 
30.392 
39.8 
38.9 
N. 
38.7 
43.1 
32.2 
43.5 
31.3 
— 
30.353 
38.5 
37.3 
40.6 
44.6 
35.0 
47.9 
30.8 
REMARKS. 
20th.—Dull and dark all day. 
2lst.—Damp, dull, and warm. 
22nd.—Dull and hazy; cold clear night. 
23rd.—Fine bright morning; cloudy afternoon, much colder. 
24th.—Cold and bright till noon, foggy afterwards. 
25th.—Frosty morning, damp and dull after. 
20th.—Dul 1 and overcast throughout. 
A dull rainless week, with almost precisely the average temperature, and very high 
barometer.—G. J. Stmons. 
