414 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 20, 1886. 
necessity, and we are bound to do all that is possible to 
avoid the purchase of them. Sheep-foldiug is one of our 
great helps in this matter; green crops for ploughing in is 
another, and when such crops can be obtained as catch crops 
either before, after, or between the regular cropping, we 
combine economy of time with economy of money in the best 
way. Take, for example, that useful crop, Winter Oats. It 
is generally ripe for harvest by the second or third week in 
July, and by the exercise of a little promptitude we may 
readily obtain an autumn green crop after it, which will 
store the soil with fertility. Or to take some of the land 
which was foul with twitch at the beginning of the present 
year, but which the dry weather at the end of April and in 
the first ten days of the present month enabled us to make 
clean. Instead of leaving it bare for a summer fallow we 
have sown much of it with Mustard for ploughing in for a 
Wheat crop, and after the first crop of Mustard is ploughed 
in we may repeat the process should showery weather 
set in. 
Perhaps now more than ever it is an exception to see a 
clean fertile farm in the highest sense of the term. On the 
day previous to writing this article we travelled upwards of 
100 miles by rail and road, through land most of which was 
under the plough, yet we saw very little evidence of really 
first-class farming. For mile after mile did we see indica¬ 
tions of a want of fertility in the soil, and the contrast of 
some 5000 acres of well-managed crops which we went to 
inspect was all the more remarkable. The sad fact was but 
too evident that second-rate farming was the rule, and first- 
rate practice the exception. How much better would it be, 
how greatly to the general advantage, if instead of crying 
out for legislative help we were to set seriously to work to 
render the soil more productive ! We must remember that 
it is not Eussia or America with which we have only to con¬ 
tend in the Wheat trade. Our own colonies are pouring in 
supplies to this country, and India is fast assuming the lead 
of all of them. On May 10th we read in the St. James' 
Gazette that—“ The rapid growth of the Indian Wheat trade 
continues. Our readers will probably recollect that last year 
our imports of Wheat from India for the first time exceeded 
our imports of Wheat from Eussia. Previously Eussia was 
our second greatest source of supply—the United States first, 
Eussia second, and India, of late years, at some distance 
third. But last year, for the first time, India took the place 
of Eussia, Eussia falling to the third rank. In the first four 
months of the present year India has distanced Eussia and 
almost equals the United States as a source of Wheat supply. 
Our total imports of Wheat from India in the past four 
months amounted to as much as 3,523,795 cwt., while our 
imports in the same period from Eussia were no more than 
1,881,980 cwt. There is nothing abnormal in the exports 
from Eussia ; it is in the increase of the exports from India 
that the change has taken place. In the four months just 
ended we imported one-third more Wheat from India than 
we had done in the corresponding quarter of the two preced¬ 
ing years.” We believe we are correct in stating that this 
Indian Wheat is grown, harvested, and sent into the market 
at a cost of 6s. per quarter. We may, indeed, well inquire 
if the price of Wheat has reached its lowest level in this 
country. If so, is it possible in the future to continue its 
culture profitably ? Let us not fly to extremes, but rather 
try to get more out of the soil, to avoid all wasteful extrava¬ 
gant practice, and to strive earnestly to do our work in the 
best way. 
True economy leads us to procure pure seed of best 
quality, to employ skilled labour, to use the best labour- 
saving appliances. We must give more attention to those 
little matters of detail which in the aggregate so seriously 
affect success or failure. Use no tail corn, no seed that is 
not pure. Our examination of seed, both in sample and 
bulk, must be almost microscopic, for the use of really good 
seed is one of the chief conditions to success. Porous, well- 
well-drained soil, clean, well ploughed, and broken up; the 
best seed, the best manure, timely culture, crops saved in 
good condition, careful preparation for market—all go to bring 
our work to a successful result. Depend upon it, the best 
is the cheapest in the end, because it is the most profitable. 
A good sample of corn is by no means so much a matter of 
locality as is often supposed. Good and bad crops of corn 
may be seen on different sides of a hedge frequently enough 
to convince one that we behold the results of good and bad 
farming. Already in our own practice this year have we had 
Eye up to the knee on one farm and barely half that height 
upon another, simply because manure was used in one case 
and withheld in the other; and even in so simple a matter 
as a catch crop of Eye for early folding the difference is a- 
serious one. Barley may, perhaps, be an exception to corn 
generally, the quality of the grain being affected by peculiari¬ 
ties of soil; size, colour, and form all telling upon the sale 
of it; but much may be done even for Barley by high culture 
and skilful harvesting. 
(To be continued.] 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
The much-wanted rain began falling on the 10th, and germination of 
Mangold seed followed quickly. All crops have derived much benefit 
from showers, which were so much needed, and growth now is so quick 
and strong that coin generally will have become too tall for hoeing a 
second time where weeds have sprung up again. Much good work was- 
done with horse hoes previous to the rain, both among Wheat and Barley, 
but in some fields Charlock was so thick that it had to be pulled out of the 
rows by band. Land foul with couch grass has been ploughed twice, and 
many of the grass roots perished from exposure to the dry air and hot sun. 
Upon one farm where we had thirty acres of foul fallow land last year 
we have now only fourteen acres, and that is now ready for the Mustard 
seed. Clover and mixed seeds for layers, as well as for permanent pasture, 
have sprung up quickly, and the weather is favourable for a quick strong 
growth. Should showers continue there is yet time for an abundant crop 
of hay. Meadows having the soil well stored with fertility made con¬ 
siderable progress in growth, even during the recent exceptionally dry 
weather. The effect of sheep-folding last autumn upon grass land is now 
visible, especially where Cocksfoot predominates. We have one such piece 
of grass adjoining a field of winter Oats. The grass had old sheep fattened 
with corn and cake upon it in folds last autumn ; the Oats after Barley 
had half dressings of home-mixed manures in the autumn and spring. 
Both grass and corn give promise of heavy crops, and we look forward 
with confidence to a fair profit upon our outlay there. The best piece of 
winter Tares we have is after Mangolds, the leaves of the Mangolds 
having been ploughed in immediately after the roots were cleared off the 
land. No doubt there is some unexhausted Mangold manure in the soil, 
but the leaves also imparted a valuable store of fertility to it. We have 
sown a six-acre field with Mangolds under such favourable conditions 
that we shall be curious to know the result. Peas were grown there last 
summer, and when the crop was harvested the land was ploughed and 
sown with white Turnips. Owing to the drought the seed did not germi¬ 
nate till so late in the season that the Turnip crop was worthless. With 
the Turnips Peas sprang up thickly from seed shaken out at harvest, and 
this green crop was ploughed in. Farmyard manure and a full dressing 
of home-mixed chemical manures was used for the Mangolds, so that, on 
the whole, we have reason to expect a heavy crop of roots, especially as 
the young plants have started into growth in showery weather, and we 
may now hope that it will lay well hold of the farmyard manure before 
there is more risk of drought. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATION?. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8'0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
1886. 
a co a; a> 
o-S® > 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
0 . 
O -a 
3 0 
Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 foot. 
8hade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
0 
"5 
PS 
May. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
££ 
5 o 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
snn. 
On 
grass 
Sunday . 
9 
Inches. 
30.023 
deg. 
59.2 
deg. 
53.8 
N.E. 
deg. 
52.0 
deg. 
72.2 
d*sr 
46.9 
deg. 
110.1 
deg. 
41.& 
In. 
Monday. 
10 
29.839 
50.3 
51.6 
N.E. 
52.4 
08 2 
44.2 
110.2 
38.6 
0.032- 
Tuesday. 
11 
29.845 
48.2 
4L8 
S.E. 
52.4 
51.1 
40.2 
63.2 
45.0 
0.201 
Wednesday .. 
12 
29.068 
47.3 
47.1 
E. 
50.4 
55.2 
44.1 
63.4 
44.8 
1.178- 
Thursday ... 
18 
29.0‘JO 
40.7 
49.5 
N.E. 
50.2 
53.1 
47.2 
65 4 
48.0 
0.114 
Friday. 
14 
29 320 
4H.3 
45.6 
W. 
49.4 
51.8 
42.0 
78.4 
86.6 
0.017 
Saturday ... 
15 
20.730 
47.9 
42.0 
S.W. 
48.4 
55.4 
36.9 
109.4 
30.3 
0.078 
29.647 
51.0 
48.1 
50.7 
58.1 
44.0 
85.7 
40.8 
1.620 
REMARKS. 
9th.—Fine, hut not bright till after 9 P.M. 
10th.-Fine, with about equal duration of cloud and of sunshine. 
11th— Dull and damp, with frequent rain. 
12th—Dull and rainy day and night. 
13th.—Heavy rain early till 10 a.m. ; showery and drizzly day ; flue night. 
14th.—Generally dull and cloudy,but with a little sunshine; showery evening. 
15th.—Cloud and sunshine : hea’vy hail shower about 2 IS P.M. 
A wet and cloudy weefc, with a great fall in mean daily maximum temperatures-, 
Slight frost on Saturday morning.—G. J. SYMONS. 
