184 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 4, 18S6. 
wonld then be eaten readily enough. For such an emergency 
what could we desire better than a crop of winter Oats ? It 
is generally ripe by the second week in July, it might then be 
taken, and by converting the unthreshed grain into chaff with 
the straw, we provide a nourishing dietary to which the sheep 
take readily enough, and we certainly are then turning the 
Oat crop to profitable account. 
He is a poor farmer indeed who waits till lambing time 
before making due provision for feeding the lambs. But it is 
now, while the pressure of such a considerable addition to our 
live stock is fully upon us, that we probably see most clearly 
what could be done for them, and attention may usefully be 
called to the matter now. During the last month or two of 
the period of gestation the ewes had cake and chaff in addi¬ 
tion to grass, but they had only a few roots given them on 
the grass, the roots being only given by way of change, and 
not as the principal article of diet. We have repeatedly 
called attention to the mischief arising from folding pregnant 
ewes on roots, and we may add here the satisfactory fact that 
we have not had a single case of abortion this season. That 
abortion, to a serious extent, is caused by a diet of cold, 
often frozen roots, has been proved so repeatedly that one 
cannot but wonder at the repetition of a process that is known 
to be fraught with such risk. A considerable area of good 
sound grass pasture was held in reserve from last autumn 
specially for the lambing; but knowing as we did that the 
grass alone would not suffice for our large breeding flock, a 
field of large late Drumhead Cabbage was sown at the end of 
last April, specially to afford a supply for the flock now. 
These fine Cabbages have not been protected in any way, and 
we are happy to say that after exposure to a severe frost of 
several weeks duration only a few of the very forward have 
been spoilt. The ewes eat them greedily, and they afford a 
welcome addition to our favourite mixed diet. Two fields of 
Swedes and White Turnips have also been left out to the 
frost in order that green tops might be had for the flock, and 
no roots have sustained any harm, except some in which holes 
were pecked by rooks and pigeons. 
Of green crops for spring folding Rye, Eye Grass, Clover* 
and the mixed seeds of alternate husbandry, Trifolium. 
Winter Tares, Sainfoin, Lucerne, and Spring Tares, all afford 
a rich and bountiful supply in rapid succession, and it is by 
the skilful culture of such crops for the flock that we are 
able to bring the lambs and hoggets to early maturity, and 
to maintain the ewes in a sound healthy condition. By 
systematic folding upon the land for the consumption of such 
crops, we also manure the land in the best and most econo¬ 
mical manner. It has been said truly enough, that any 
farmer would prosper who could enrich the land effectually 
by the manure of live stock, making a profit of the stock and 
manuring the land gratis. By live stock we certainly here 
mean sheep, for we decidedly consider the manufacture of 
manure in cattle yards, and the general use of manure carts 
a costly and extravagant process that is only advisable for 
root culture. 
Recently we have repeatedly had a special sort of lamb 
food brought to our notice, and after a careful examination 
of samples we have definitively decided to give it a trial. It 
consists of a mixture of crushed food, among which one may 
readily detect Peas, Beans, Oats, bran, malt, linseed, and 
several sorts of oilcake, and is apparently an admirable 
mixture of pure wholesome nourishing food, which lambs of 
a month old are said to begin eating freely. We can see at 
a glance that it must be nourishing, and if it only proves 
sufficiently so to accelerate the early maturity of our lambs 
in an appreciable degree, from a profit and loss point of view 
it will prove an acceptable addition to our mixed diet. Lambs, 
however, should be given fresh food with much caution, a 
small quantity at first, and a gradual increase as the young 
animals are able to bear it. Perhaps our best safeguard is 
to let them run forward on young Rye or Grass, and then 
careful trough-feeding corrects any tendency to scouring, and 
rapid growth is accompanied by a plump healthy condition. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
During the last eight or nine months we have been getting a stock of 
sows for breeding purposes. We have managed to get together thirty 
useful animals, and five of them have just given ua our first instalment of 
spring pigs, which generally prove profitable, and owing to the wide¬ 
spread ravages of swine fever there is likely to be a brisk sale for them. 
While avoiding the keeping of a large number of pigs, we certainly find a 
certain number a profitable investment upon all corn-growing farms ; for 
even when corn is not spoilt by exposure to rain a certain proportion may 
be turned to good account among the live stock of the farm. In view of 
this we set apart much more land of Oats this year, and with winter and 
spring Oats we shall have upwards of a hundred acres. The straw and 
much of the grain is intended for home consumption by sheep. We have 
now flocks on four farms, and, notwithstanding foreign competition, they 
still represent a fair margin of profit, provided a very heavy outlay upon 
purchased food can be avoided. 
Before sowing Clover pure and simple we shall do well to consider if 
we may not do much better to sow a mixture of strong-growing grasses 
with it for a two or three-years layer. If the land be clean and in good 
heart we may certainly do so advantageously, for by judicious folding or 
the application of artificial manures we may get heavy crops of fodder and 
effect a considerable saving of labour. This is a matter worthy of our 
serious attention now more than ever, the only thing in favour of a crop 
of Clover being the profit that may sometimes be made by the sale of the 
seed. It is well to let the corn be sown a week or two before the “ Eeeds," 
as otherwise we are liable to have so much grass in the bottom of the 
sheaves that the carting and stacking is much hindered. Let especial 
care be taken to procure all grass seeds from a safe source in order to 
avoid adulteration. No time Bhould be lost in corn-sowing as soon as 
the soil is sufficiently dry. An early seed time means an early harvest 
and an early harvest often means corn saved before rain sets in, and we 
certainly had this lesson well enforced last harvest. Be on the alert to 
begin the stirring and cleaning of foul land as early as possible, and if the 
land is poor avoid a bare fallow. Sow White Mustard, to be ploughed in as 
soon as the seed pods appear, and if the weather is favourable for a second 
crop of Mustard by all means sow it to be ploughed in in due course, and 
thus store the land with fertility in a manner at once simple, efficient, 
and economical. 
Farmebs’ Catalogues and Handbooks— Messrs. Webb & Sons 
Farmers’ Catalogue contains an interesting chapter on “ Grass in Alternate 
Husbandry,” together w r ith a variety of information respecting the prin¬ 
cipal Grasses, illustrated by engravings _of the leading useful varieties. 
Selections of seeds are given for the various geological formations. The 
Clovers, roots, Cabbages, with the cereals also receive attention, useful 
chapters being given on 11 The Field Cultivation of Cabbages ” and “ The 
Development of the Ensilage System.” * 
Messrs. Carter & Co.’s Farmers’ Handbook is of the customary usefur 
character, and contains aiticles on “Permanent Pastures,” “The Cloven 
Dodder,” “ Grass Lane’s and Dairy Farming for Profit,” by Professor Joh. - 
Scott; “Farm Pests and their Remedies,” a valuable contribution ; “ Su , 
cessful Root Cultivation,” which deals with Parsnips, Carrots. Mangold® 
Swedes, Turnips, and Kohl Rabi. A few practical remarks are given o“ 
“ Carraway and Flax Culture in England,” “ Cabbage as a Field Crop, 
and much miscellaneous information, with numerous illustrations, com 
pletesa tery neat annual. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Cow Swollen (H. <?.).—The best answer we can give is to advise you to 
promptly call in a veterinary surgeon or someone familiar with the ailments 
of animals. A careful examination appears to be requisite for determining 
the most suitable treatment of the case. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
5) A.M. 
IN THU DAY. 
a 
. 0$ 
1886. 
February. 
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 
Bun. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Id. 
21 
30.248 
82.9 
31.6 
N.E. 
35.4 
87.2 
30.8 
52.1 
26.8 
— 
22 
30.407 
32.7 
31.6 
N. 
35.3 
38.7 
26.1 
61.4 
20.3 
— 
23 
30.332 
31.7 
31.0 
N.E. 
35.2 
36.8 
31.0 
43.7 
27.1 
— 
Wednesday .. 
24 
30.180 
27.9 
26.8 
N.E. 
35.2 
35 9 
23.8 
54.8 
18.9 
— 
Thursday ... 
25 
30.140 
S3.3 
30.5 
E. 
34.8 
36.2 
27.4 
42.4 
23.8 
— 
26 
30.236 
30.8 
30.4 
N.E. 
34.6 
39 7 
26.7 
22.1 
— 
Saturday ... 
27 
30.290 
31.4 
30.9 
N.E. 
34.4 
40.2 
25.3 
20.9 
30.262 
31.5 
30.4 
35.0 
37.8 
27.3 
57.8 
22.8 
REMARKS. 
21st.—Fair throughout, hut overcast except about noon. 
22nd.—Fine, hut not bright, except for a short t me about midday. 
23rd.—Cloudy, with sleet, till 11 A.M., fine clear night. 
24th.—Fine, bright, and cold in morning, cloudy afternoon. 
25th.—Fine, hut no sun. 
26th —Fine and bright all day. 
27th.—Fine, with some sun. 
An extremely cold week, the temperature being steadily low rather than exception¬ 
ally so on any one day. Since February 15th the temperature has only once for a few 
minutes reached 40°, and there has been frost on the grass every night in February except 
two, and on each of those the temperatur was less than one degree above freezing point. 
—G. J .Symons, 
