370 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 6, 1886. 
geological formation, but rather strive earnestly to ascertain 
the chemical composition of the plants we have to cultivate, 
and see that sufficient of each fertiliser required by a given 
crop is present in the soil for it, a little watchfulness and care 
will then soon clear the way of difficulties. We refer to this 
important work in its bearing upon the future of farming 
thus in general rather than particular terms, because for 
practical purposes it is unwise to carry scientific nicety to a 
ridiculous extreme. Whatever rules are framed for the 
guidance of farmers generally must be elastic to be generally 
applicable to practice. 
Instead of placing blind reliance upon stringent rules, let 
there be intelligent individual effort to acquiro sufficient 
knowledge for confident independent action, according as 
local circumstances may require. To be really successful a 
farmer must look closely into cause and effect. Dare we 
venture to assert that the ordinary farmer does so ? On the 
day of writing this article we called the attention of the home 
farm bailiff to the general flourishing appearance of a field of 
winter Oats. He, without any hesitation, said it was owing 
to sheep-folding and farmyard manure, yet ample evidence 
that he was wrong lay clearly before his eyes, if only he could 
have seen it. 
The Oats had a half dressing of home-mixed artificial 
manure in the autumn, the other half dressing was given 
early this spring. It was sown broadcast by hand, and like 
most hand work it lacked the precision and nicety of machine 
work. In several places were strips of Oats which had been 
missed by the manure sower, and the poverty of growth was 
all the more remarkable from the vigour of that which had 
the full benefit of the spring dressing. A noteworthy fact of 
this field of winter Oats—a deep loam in mid-Suffolk—is that 
we have used a precisely similar prescription of home-mixed 
manure to that which we used in Sussex for a poor thin 
silicious soil on the Hastings sand formation, and apparently 
the results will prove equally satisfactory. Eventually we 
hope they will surpass them, but it must not be forgotten 
that deep loam may be lamentably poverty stricken, and the 
mention of this brings us to another important consideration 
for the future of farm ng, which is soil management. 
A wide field opens before us here, but our remarks must 
be confined to a few leading general points. It may be laid 
down as a fundamental rule that drainage is necessary for all 
soil upon clay, marl, or mixtures of a tenacious character. 
We must relieve the soil of superfluous surface water, we 
must also prevent water contained in the subsoil from rising 
to the surface by capillary attraction. The mention of such 
self-evident facts is like the repetition of an oft told tale, and 
yet how necessary is it that we should never miss an oppor¬ 
tunity of telling how waterlogged soil is always—aye, even 
in summer—at such a low temperature that no crop can 
really thrive in it, no matter how heavily it is manured. We 
have done much good work in draining wet land during the 
past winter, and we hope to tell of favourable results arising 
from it in due course. 
Mechanical division of the soil is another cultural point 
to which full attention must be given in the future. Farmers 
in a gravel or flint district have no trouble in this matter, but 
there are very few stones to be found in soil resting on sand¬ 
stone, and it is liable to settle down into so compact amass that 
air and moisture enter it very slowly. Dressings of burnt 
earth, coal ashes, and lime afford an effectual remedy for such 
a serious want of division in the soil. When this is set right, 
cleanliness is the next point to which close attention must be 
given. Soil infested with foul weeds is unfit for the growth 
of farm crops, and it must be made clean before we can 
possibly avoid waste in cultivation. Advisedly do we place 
cleanliness before fertility. We cannot afford to waste manure 
upon the culture of weeds. Carelessness and slovenly 
practice generally has caused couch grass and Charlock to 
spread far and wide over the land. Couch grass is an 
insidious enemy of which little is seen till we turn up the 
soil, but Charlock plants its yellow blossom in our eyes so that 
we have no excuse for allowing the first few plants of it to 
run to seed among the crops in which they first appear on 
the farm. Every yellow-flowered rogue should be destroyed 
while yet they may be counted by the hundred, but if we let 
it alone for a season or two it spreads with such rapidity 
that it is not easily got rid of. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Time which could only be spared with difficulty has had to given to- 
chaff-cutting for the flock. Rye, Rye Grass, and Meadow Grass all grows 
fast now, but the sheep still have chaff in the folds with other mixed dry 
food. Before all things the ewes must be kept in healthy condition if we 
would have the lambs answer, and it is by no means easy to manage this 
now, for fast-growing lambs, however well fed, make heavy demands 
upon the ewes, evidence of which is seen in every one of the dams, but 
especially the weakly ones. On the day of writing this note we sent our 
first batch of fat lambs to market; some were sold for 32s. apiece, others 
at 27s., and others at 25s. Such prices afford a handsome margin of 
profit upon outlay for lamb food and labour, and we certainly could never 
sell them to greater advantage, however long we might keep them. In 
proof of this we may add that at the same market we had forty fat hoggets 
sold at prices ranging from 47s. 6d. to 50s. 6d. apiece. They were about 
a year older than the lambs, and had consumed much corn and cake last 
winter. No doubt much good was done to the land upon which they 
were folded, but it is clearly worth while to have a few score fat lambs 
early in market. One more lesson gained at market to-day among the 
sheep. Among the fat hoggets were a considerable number of prime 
pure-bred Suffolk hoggets, black faced, with fine long thick frames, and in 
high condition. Pen after pen of five hoggets was sold at prices ranging 
from £15 to £17 10s. per pen of five, or at an average pries of 65s- 
apiece. Of course they had been well fed, but then it was equally clear 
how admirably they had ripened for the butcher. Again we say, if yon 
do keep sheep or cattle keep the best, best in the light of profit and loss,, 
for that is the only safe test, and is that to which all our practice and its 
results should be subject. We do not care at all about pedigree stock, 
but we certainly do care for that wbich can be turned into profit 
quickly. 
Dairy cows are let out on meadow grass in the day now, but they will 
be kept in at night for another month. Store cattle will not leave the 
yards till the pastures are forward in growth. We have no faith in 
turning out beasts upon half hare pastures, for the result is never satis¬ 
factory. What is known as store condition among cattle never did point 
to speedy profit at the best, and now less so than ever. If we do have 
cattle upon the farm our only safe course is to keep them from falling 
into low condition at any time, but we must not go to the other extreme, 
and force them so fast as to run a risk of losses from quarter evil. 
A Dairy Scholarship. —A sum of £20 is offered by the British 
Dairy Farmers’ Association to provide a scholarship, to be competed for hy 
dairy farmers or persons intending to start upon the business of dairy 
farming or dairying. Candidates must be not less than eighteen years of 
age. They will be subjected to a written and a vivd voce examination in 
bu ter-making at the Society’s rooms, 191, Fleet Sireet, London, on 
Thursday, May 13th, and a practical examination at Mr. Tisdall’s dairy, 
Kensington. The successful candidate will be required to devote at least 
two months to the acquisition of knowledge of butter-making in Nor¬ 
mandy, and to keep a journal of his experience during the whole period of 
his scholarship, sending a copy of it weekly to the British Dairy Farmers’ 
Association. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONP. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32'40” N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
1886. 
£2 CO <D <U 
oti® > 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
fl . 
Ora 
*-> d 
sr 
| Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
Rain 
April— May. 
S S 
MS a 
Dry. 
Wet. 
8£ 
5o 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass 
Sunday . 
25 
Inches. 
30.149 
deg. 
54.1 
deg. 
48.6 
N.E. 
deg. 
48.2 
deg. 
62.3 
d«g 
44.1 
deg. 
103.4 
de«. 
38.3 
In. 
Monday. 
26 
30.117 
52.6 
47.7 
S.E. 
486 
61.5 
40.3 
1(15.3 
34.3 
_ 
Tuesday. 
27 
29.918 
60.1 
47.3 
N.E. 
49.2 
69 2 
41.3 
108.7 
36.8 
0.077 
Wednesday .. 
28 
29.636 
49.9 
49.4 
E. 
50.0 
66.7 
44.8 
946 
38.2 
0.190 
Thursday .... 
29 
29.899 
39.9 
38.6 
N.E. 
4 
51.7 
36.3 
93.9 
33.4 
Friday. 
30 
3 '.153 
43.7 
38.8 
N.E. 
47.4 
56.5 
34.0 
102.4 
29.4 
_ 
Saturday .... 
1 
30.251 
47.8 
41.1 
E. 
47.4 
62.2 
31.6 
105.8 
23.7 
— 
30.018 
48.3 
44.5 
43.6 
61.4 
38.9 
102.0 
33.3 
0.267 
REMARKS. 
25th.—Almost cloudless day and night. 
28th.—Another cloudless day and night. 
27th.—Again almost cloudless. 
28th.—Wet early, wth sharp hail shower at 4.15 A.M., but a fine day on the whole, with 
some sunshine and occasional showers. 
29th.—Wet early, dun morning, tine afternoon and eveniog. 
30th.—A glorious spring day. 
1st.—An exceptionally beautiful day. 
As a whole a week of exceptionally bright clear weather, but with rather treacherous 
E. or N.E. wind. Temperature rather lower than that of the preceding week, and a little 
below the average.—G. J. SIMONS. 
