308 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 11,1889. 
THE FARMER’S FUTURE. 
Frequently are we asked to give our opinion of what the 
future of agriculture will be in this country, and our reply invari¬ 
ably takes a hopeful tone, for we believe the matter has already 
passed out of the region of mere opinion into that of positive fact. 
It is now shown clearly that corn-growing in a modified form will 
continue, but it will not be of so exclusive a character as hitherto 
in any district. More land is gradually being brought under 
forage crops in view of a reduction in the outlay for labour which 
arable land involves. Dairy farming is certainly on the increase, 
and we hope more general attention is being given to the careful 
selection and management of all live stock. 
The importance of careful selection as well as of high culture 
among Wheat has been forcibly demonstrated since last harvest. 
Prices have ranged from 26s. up to 40s. per quarter. Our highest 
price was 36s. for a fine but rather light sample of white Wheat 
grown on heavy land. Exceptionally good as this price was, it was 
beaten by a light land farmer with a grand sample of red Wheat 
•with a large full heavy grain in splendid condition, for which he 
had no difficulty in obtaining 40s. This may fairly be said to be 
a legitimate outcome of sheep and corn farming under skilful man¬ 
agement. Such a case as this shows what is possible in farming, 10s. a 
quarter above the average pointing to success in no uncertain manner. 
Intelligence, industry, pei'severance, thrift—these are the guid¬ 
ing principles that will render the farmer’s future a bright one. 
He must recognise the fact that easy-going times are ended, that if 
he is to wrest prosperity from the soil it must be by energetic action 
tempered by sound judgment. Very high prices for farm produce 
■can never return to us permanently again. The facilities for 
expeditious carriage utterly preclude such a possibility, and we 
must rest content with moderate profits, and make it a special 
point of practice to obtain as quick returns upon our outlay as we 
can. This being so, it might certainly be said that the extinction of 
all inferior breeds of animals of the farm is inevitable. The matter 
really rests with the farmer, the sale of live stock being entirely 
■one of supply and demand. Once let dealers find inferior animals 
a drug upon the market, and they will speedily find means to obtain 
•others of a better class. 
It is certainly a healthy sign that there is a keen inquiry after 
better seed, better manure—aye, and better land. Wise indeed in 
his generation is the landlord who, having farm after farm thrown 
upon his hands, does all that is possible to improve them. This 
loss at the outset is most probably heavy, but in the end the very 
fact of his improvements must lead to inquiry for his farms, and if 
only it is possible to obtain really good tenants—men of sound 
practical knowledge, business capacity, and with ample capital, it is 
reasonable to suppose they will be successful, and the landlord will 
obtain a fair profit upon the investment. Every farm has a certain 
character that is well known to the farmers in its particular locality. 
For example, we have a farm in hand which in more prosperous 
times was badly managed for twenty years. Prices were high, 
and the tenant contrived to pay his rent, but falling prices speedily 
brought him to bankruptcy, and so the farm came in hand with so 
bad a character that our only chance of letting it was to bring it 
into sound condition, and afford tangible proof of real improvement 
in the guise of full crops for several consecutive years. A year or 
two of good crops would not suffice to get rid of the ill repute in 
which it had so long been justly held. Farmers not unnaturally 
look with suspicious eyes upon such a change, however thorough it 
may be, and hints of a spurt with artificial manure meet with ready 
credence, for there is still a lamentable degree of ignorance about 
the real value and use of chemical manures. 
Perhaps the most hopeful point of all for the future is the 
admirable manner in which so many men have continued to grapple 
with the difficulties of the times. That they have been able to do 
so is in a very great measure owing to the reduction of rent which 
every just landlord has made. We much fear this noble action of 
the landlords has not met with the recognition it merits, yet the 
sacrifice to them has been most serious, however cheerfully it has 
been made. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Never was the advantage of a late crop of Swedes left upon the land 
for folding more evident than now. The tops are from 1 to 2 feet in 
height, affording a fine supply of green food for the lambs, and the 
roots are as sound as any we ever had. The lambs are now able to 
eat the roots quite as well as the ewes, many of the Swedes being eaten 
off level with the ground before the ewes get to them. A neighbour 
has the whole of his Swedes in clamps, and has no green tops for his 
lambs. We hear of a heavy loss of ewes upon a marsh farm, and 
certainly question the wisdom of keeping a breeding flock where there 
are no sound uplands to winter upon. Store hoggets are now coming 
upon the markets in large numbers to bring money for Lady Day rent. 
We regret seeing this, as of course it would be more profitable to farmers 
if they could keep them for the clip of wool to go out as fat sheep; 
more profitable for the farmer and better for the land, the manure from 
well fed hoggets being a splendid fertiliser. One of our tenants hold¬ 
ing a small farm has just sown Barley after hoggets folded on Cabbages, 
which were planted last year after a crop of early Peas picked green for 
market. He has the land carefully hand-picked to keep down couch 
grass each time it is broken up, and he certainly never has a long fallow 
on his farm. 
Farm work generally is in a forward state, much of the winter corn is 
rolled, and land intended for roots if at all foul has been ploughed and 
harrowed repeatedly. By doing this now much subsequent labour will 
be avoided, and the land will be cleaner than it would have been by 
summer culture only. On the home farm with clean land for the 
Mangold crop, it has been got ready for sowing so quickly that the drill¬ 
ing may now be done at any time, and the seed will be sown by the 
middle of the month. This will enable us to get. the first hoeings and 
plant-singling done before the haymaking begins, and so set all hands 
at liberty for that important work. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Treatment of Cow (-4 Young Gardener ).—Protect the cow from 
excitement or disturbance of any kind. Provide pure water ; feed the 
cow as usual either with hay or grass, or with chaff mixed with minced 
mangolds. If taken in at night from the yard let, it have a large stall 
or shed with clean litter. Avoid unnecessary disturbance of the cow 
while calving ; it is only in cases of protracted labour that gruel or 
stimulants are necessary, or in those of unnatural presentation, that 
assistance is wanted. If all has gone well no “ drinks” will be required, 
but if the cow appears unwell after calving and refuses food at once 
call in a veterinary surgeon, and leave the question of medicine in his 
hands. Very seldom indeed is it that this is necessary. Immediately 
after calving give the cow about two quarts of pure cold water, and let 
it have mixed flour and linseed gruel for a few days, with hay and 
green food. Leave the calf with the cow for two or three days, then 
withdraw it, and either let it in to the cow to be suckled three times 
daily or at once begin feeding it. If removed after the first day, as 
is often done, remember that it requires two or three quarts per day 
of the cow’s milk for the first few days, increasing the quantity to 
four or five quarts by the end of the first week, to about eight quarts 
in the second week, and ten quarts by the end of the month. If skim 
milk is used thicken it slightly with linseed meal and oatmeal. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 82'40"N.; Long. 0° 8'0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. I 9 A.M. | IN THE DAY. 
1889. 
2?. g_j 
ipri > 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
ot Wind. 
Temp, of 
soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
if 
March and April. 
J & O” 1 
M Z aS 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
gra33 
Sunday . 
Inches. 
29.9 )5 
deg. 
48.0 
deg. 
44.2 
N. 
deg. 
43 8 
deg. 
53.2 
deg. 
39.4 
deg. 
98.8 
deg. 
35.0 
In. 
Monday. 
29.987 
42.0 
40 8 
N.W 
43.1 
53.7 
338 
83.9 
28.2 
0.010 
Tuesday ... 
2 
29 928 
43 4 
38 0 
N.W 
42.9 
50.1 
38.9 
95.1 
33.6 
Wednesday. 
3 
29.872 
40.2 
35 9 
N.W. 
42 8 
47.4 
35.9 
74.1 
34.4 
0.205 
Thursday... 
4 
29.219 
48.9 
42 3 
s. 
42 9 
62.6 
38.6 
96.4 
38 1 
0.083 
Friday . 
5 
29.484 
42 9 
41.8 
S. 
43 0 
53.1 
37.9 
78.2 
31.6 
Saturday ... 
6 
29 533 
45.8 
43.6 
N. 
42 9 
54 8 
38 4 
97.1 
32 9 
— 
29.702 
44.1 
40.9 
43.1 
521 
37.6 
89.1 
33.4 
0.245 
REMARKS. 
March 31st —Generally bright, but a trilling shower about 2 P.M. 
April 1st.—Cloudy daj ; showers in the evening. 
2di1.— Fine and generally bright day ; cloudy evening. 
3rd.—Fine, with occasional sunshine till 3 P M., then spots of rain and wet evening and 
night. 
4th.—Fine and frequently bright in morning ; showers In the afternoon; tine night, 
ith.—Geueraliy flue and frequently bright, but a few spots of rain in morning. 
6th.—Very slight shower about 11 AM.; otherwise flue and frequently bright. 
A nnld and generally fine week; tempeiature near the average.—G. J. SYMOS8. 
