January S, 1S89. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
21 
•ago. Keen speculators are ever on the alert to take advantage of 
•every opportunity to develope trade. Land may become exhausted 
in America, but there are gigantic possibilities in Russia. “ A prac¬ 
tically illimitable territory, producing the finest Wheat in the 
world,” was the description given of Siberia recently, and there can 
be no doubt that its Wheat region—“ a vast belt of black soil 
capable of producing the finest grain for flour-making purposes in 
•the world,” and its gold mines will eventually bring it to the front 
if, as appears possible, its river traffic can be connected with the 
•sea. Failure or prosperity with us does not rest upon such a pos¬ 
sibility, but we certainly should do well to remember that, though 
we have the best market in the world at our doors, we shall in 
future have to be content with a narrow margin of profit. Yiews 
may differ as to the amount of such profit necessary to enable the 
farmer to subsist upon the land, but there can be no doubt that under 
•really good management a profit is to be had still. 
What can the land be made to yield ? What is the cost of 
production under the best practice ? What relief is necessary 
from the burden of rent, tithes, rates, and taxes ? How shall 
-we effect an equitable modification of this burden ? These are 
some of the questions that are asked again and again, not always 
so fairly as is desirable. The political agitator who desires to curry 
favour with farmers still insists upon rent reduction, often, we 
fear, without adequate knowledge of how far landowners have 
gone already in this direction. But we know that landlords have 
very generally met their tenants by reductions, which, in many an 
instance, is fully 50 per cent, upon the rent of more prosperous 
times. Let, then, the tenant do his part, and see if he cannot give 
a more complete answer to our first question. If he would do so, 
he must use no more inferior seed corn, but take especial care 
that there is perfect accord in every part of his practice, and that 
there is nothing wanting in seed, tillage, harvesting, as well as in 
the dressing and sale of corn. 
Not in Wheat only, but in all other corn it is most desirable 
that there should be a general improvement. The standard of 
what is possible is far above the ordinary average. Of sorts, we 
may mention Chevalier Barley, White Champion and Red Defiance 
Wheat, White Canadian and Black Tartarian Oats. Yet we 
•question strongly if it is possible to purchase any of these in the 
•ordinary way of business at provincial corn markets. Of course 
any corn merchant can procure them, but we desire to see them in 
.general cultivation, and brought to market in a condition at least 
•equal to that of the samples of our best seed corn merchants. If 
•only this can be brought to pass, then we venture to say corn 
prospects will improve sufficiently to be remunerative. After all, 
it is no radical change, no great reform to ask for, but simply 
to follow the dictates of common sense, of ordinary prudence, 
and to do the best that is possible with the land. 
WORK OK THE HOME FARM. 
There has been a cessation of com threshing for a week or two, the 
trade being invariably dull at the end of the year, but the ploughs have 
•been kept going steadily every day, and we now hope to have the spring 
■corn land in good order by sowing time. At this season of the year there 
is very little change in farm work to record. One important matter has 
been a close inspection of drains during the recent wet weather, and 
although we cannot afford to scour drains for mere appearance sake, yet 
•due care is taken to see there is no obstruction to the outfall or “ eye ” 
■of every drain. Water.furrows have also been opened well at the ends 
through the headlands of all winter corn fields, in order to prevent any 
•accumulation Of water upon or near the surface, as the plants left in 
water-logged soil during winter invariably suffer so much that a full 
•crop of corn is impossible. Wheat is a remarkably full, healthy, strong 
plant, seed germination and growth being both more brisk than they 
were last season, the weather at the close of the year being very favour¬ 
able for the late sown corn. Beans have a vigorous, sturdy appearance, 
.and the plant is so far stuidy enough, but winter Beans often suffer so 
much from hard frost that there can be no certainty about them till 
spring. 
We are getting well forward with hogget folding on white Turnips, 
and hope to have finished by the end of the month. Swede folding will, 
•of course, be later. We have put no Swedes into large clamps, but have 
had them thrown into small heaps and covered sufficiently to keep off 
frost. This plan answers very well where folding is required, as all 
labour of carting is avoided. Late sown Swedes will be held in reserve 
for ewes and lambs, none being used for the ewes before the lambing. 
A stack or two of Peas will now be threshed, as the straw will be 
wanted for the ewes very soon. Some of the Peas made such vigorous 
growth and ripened so slowly that they are still somewhat soft in the 
pods, and do not command a high price. Wet weather before and during 
harvest has caused a heavy loss upon much of the corn last year. 
PROFITABLE FARMING. 
[ A Paper read by Mr. Edward Luekhurst before the Ixworth Farmers’ Club, 
December, 17th, 1888 J 
In the last month of a year so remarkable for its low temperature, 
gloomy skies, and trying alternations of weather generally, which have 
so seriously affected our work and its results, it may appear somewhat 
anomalous to talk of profitable farming, for what with light Wheat and 
discoloured Barley, and the low price to be had from maltsters for it, 
anything like a profit upon expenditure or capital invested in the land 
would appear to be a very doubtful matter indeed. But I may remind 
you that the farmer’s year ends and begins at Michaelmas, and, not¬ 
withstanding heavy arrears of ploughing, we are well on our way with 
the work of another year. Though sown late, our winter corn is a full 
strong plant, hogget folds on Turnips are being followed closely by 
ploughs, in view of another Barley crop ; folds for early lambing are 
already in course of construction, and so the work of another agricultural 
year is in full swing, and far from giving way to useless lamentations 
over failure or disappointment in the year that is gone, we are doing 
our very utmost to secure as full a measure of success as we can in that 
which is before us. 
Perhaps the most trying thing we have to encounter in our calling 
as farmers is its uncertainty, anything like mechanical precision with 
us being out of the question. True it is that we are generally able 
to sow our crops in due season, but their subsequent development and 
value depends very much upon the weather. Take for example the 
Barley crop of the present year. I for one will own I did all I could 
to ensure a full crop by careful selection of seed, by timely culture, and 
by the application of manure. My efforts were ably seconded by the 
farm stewards, and so well did the Barley look when the ears were full 
grown that there was fair reason to hope for that full measure of 
success I had striven so hard for. But then came adverse weather ; as 
the grain ripened, stormy weather set in, and, of course, the heavier the 
crop the more it suffered. Much of it was beaten down, the grain 
became discoloured, and patches of green growth from sprouting grain 
were visible at places. All this told upon the quality of the crop, 
hence the low prices at which we have had to sell, the only redeeming 
point being the larger quantity grown than we had in 1887. 
I did not, however, extend the culture of Barley to anything ap¬ 
proaching an extreme, for, holding as I do that it is unwise to change 
from pillar to post year after year simply because one or two articles of 
farm produce command for the moment a higher price than others, I 
strive year by year to crop each farm or part of a farm in my hands 
according to the nature and condition of the soil. I may remark here 
that, it takes some time—certainly more than a single season—to know 
a farm, to master the peculiar nature of each field, and to see with 
sufficient clearness for practical purposes what are its special require¬ 
ments, and what crops are likely to answer best in it. To apply a 
common system or shift to every field is in my opinion a mistake. On 
a heavy land farm in my hands there are several fields totally unfit for 
Barley, and to sow Barley upon them is to court failure. Wheat, Beans, 
roots, and a green crop may answer, but Barley must have every ad¬ 
vantage of soil if we would have the crop profitable. 
No doubt the lowness of prices has induced many an anxious 
farmer to rush to extremes, to discard one crop, and extend the area of 
another far beyond safe limits. Far more faith have I in the future of 
the man who strives rather for improved methods of culture, who, 
having ascertained the highest possible standard of excellence, strives to 
the utmost of his power to bring his produce of every kind up to that 
standard. What we want is energy and ability, combined with sound 
common sense and staying power. Here, in East Anglia, we have very 
little to say to Hops, but I may mention a case in point. A Sussex 
farmer, who, notwithstanding low prices, has grubbed no Hops, but kept 
on doing his utmost to obtain abundant crops of high quality, tells me 
that this year he had 8 cwt. per acre, which he sold at £8 103. per cwt., 
or £68 per acre. My Sussex friend only holds a small farm, but every 
part of it is turned to full account, it is wonderfully productive, and 
the mention of it brings me to the first distinct part of my subject. 
THE SIZE OF FARMS. 
It has recently been laid down by Professor Elliot that high farming 
by producing increased quantities is able to compete with lower prices. 
But high farming can only be carried on with increased capital, which 
means that tenants with £3 to £6 per acre capital must give place to 
tenants with from £10 to £15 per acre. With this dictum I entirely 
agree, and may go even further, for there can be no doubt that farmers 
generally would be far more flourishing than they are if they had £20 of 
capital per acre, as Mr. John Prout had in his heavy' land farm at Saw- 
bridgeworth. This abundant capital enabled him to bringhis land up to 
a high state of fertility and so keep it, by the judicious and steady appli¬ 
cation of chemical manures. His success was so remarkable that others 
were induced to adopt his system, and when they failed, as some of them 
did, they declared that artificial manure did not suit their land. Yet 
there is no doubt that the failure was owing to their ignorance of the 
