348 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 2', 1880. 
PLANTS IN POTS. 
8. 
a. 
0. 
d. 
e. 
d. 
0. 
d. 
Aralia Sieboldi, dozen .. 6 
0 to 13 
0 
Enonymus, var.. dozen 
6 
0 to 18 
0 
Arum Lilies, per dozen .. 12 
Arbor vitse (golden! dozen 12 
0 
IS 
0 
Evergreens, in var., dozen 
6 
0 
24 
0 
0 
24 
0 
Ferns, in variety, dozen 
4 
0 
18 
0 
Asters, 12 pots., .. .. 0 
0 
0 
0 
Ficus elastica, each 
Foliage plants, var., each 
1 
6 
7 
0 
Azalea, per dozen .. .. 24 
Begonias, various, per doz. 0 
0 
43 
0 
2 
0 
10 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Genista, per dozen .. .. 
Hyacinths, per dozen .. 
8 
0 
12 
0 
Bedding plants in variety, 
6 
0 
9 
0 
per doz. from .. .. 1 
0 
0 
0 
Lily of tho Valley, 
Bedding plants, in boxes, 
doz. pots . 
12 
0 
38 
0 
each .1 
6 
2 
6 
Marguerite Daisy, dozen 
6 
0 
12 
0 
Christmas Rose .. .. 0 
0 
0 
0 
Myrtles, dozen. 
6 
0 
12 
0 
‘Oineraria,per dozen .. 8 
0 
10 
0 
Palms, in var., each 
•2 
6 
21 
0 
■Cyclamen,, dozen pot3 .. 9 
0 
18 
0 
Pelargoniums, scarlet, 12 
Pel irgoniums, per dozen 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Dracaena terminalia, doz, 30 
0 
60 
0 
9 
0 
18 
0 
Dracaena viridis, dcz. .. 1*2 
0 
24 
0 
Primula, per doz. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Erica Cavendishi, doz. .. 18 
0 
30 
0 
Spiraea, par dozen .. .. 
9 
0 
15 
0 
• „ various, doz.12 
0 
24 
0 
Tulips, doz. pots .. .. 
6 
0 
9 
0 
CATTLE FEEDING. 
If cattle can be made to answer so as to afford a profit they 
must have careful and intelligent management, and be kept steadily 
on from calf to bullock without any intermittent periods of lean¬ 
ness through semi-starvation. To have beasts at twenty months 
from the birth worth £20 really means regular sucklingby the cow, 
and a system of high feeding always. Under skilful management 
it is really wonderful with what rapidity young stock grow and lay 
on flesh ; but the process is beset with risk, for animals under such 
high pressure become so plethoric that they are liable to attacks 
-of apoplexy, which are generally fatal. This forcing system when 
successful should bring a quick return upon outlay, but it is alto¬ 
gether more safe to keep calves and yearlings quietly on in healthy, 
thrifty condition, to turn them out to grass a second season, and 
finish them for the butcher for the following winter. 
Some simple process of the kind is more generally followed 
than any other, and it is comparatively inexpensive. After grazing 
the second season on good pasture the beasts are not difficult to 
finish for the Christmas markets. In Division II. of the revised 
■edition of “ Stephen’s Book of the Farm ” we are told that one of 
the largest feeders of Scotch cattle when they are housed in 
autumn starts them with 2 lbs. of decorticated cotton cake and 
2 lbs. of linseed cake, gradually increasing to 3 lbs. each, and then 
by degrees withdrawing 1 lb. of the cotton cake and substituting a 
like quantity of the linseed cake. About six weeks before the 
animals are sent to the London Christmas market they get in 
addition to the cake 2 lbs. each of bruised Oats or finely ground 
Peas or Beans, very slightly moistened with water. Half the daily 
allowance is given at 6 a.m., and a feed of cut Turnips follows at 
'9 a.m. While the animals are eating their Turnips the byres are 
cleaned out and the cattle groomed, and as soon as the Turnips are 
•eaten a moderate supply of sweet Oat straw or hay is given. The 
cattle are then allowed perfect rest till 1 p.m., and in the afternoon 
the same sort of food in the same quantities is given, followed by 
a little Oat straw or hay at 8 p.m. Stress is laid upon punctuality 
in feeding, in having trough or rack cleared each time, and in close 
watchfulness of each animal’s progress and its state of health. 
When animals are turned out to graze in summer, if they are in 
tolerably full condition and the pasture is rich, most if not all 
of them come off the grass ready for market. By having a number 
of the most forward beasts in a separate pasture, and feeding them 
regularly twice daily with crushed beans or corn, they may be made 
ready for sale by September, and be followed by others in October. 
Such animals are generally profitable, and if really fine are taken 
off the pasture and housed for a couple of months before 
Christmas there is no reason why they should not answer fairly 
well too. Only be sure and house them before cold nights and 
heavy autumnal rains set in, for if they are subjected to such 
exposure they will suffer severely, and they will show it by a 
speedy falling off in condition. We do not like abrupt housing, 
but prefer rather to drive them into yards with deep open lodges 
at night on the approach of autumn, and let them out by day while 
there is enough grass to render it worth while. By feeding them 
in the yards as they enter little, if any, driving will be necessary 
after the first night or two. On the contrary, the cattle will enter 
the yards alone if they can do so, or they will be found waiting to 
be taken in. 
Not half enough attention is given generally to the provision of 
shelter for cattle either at night or when turned out on pasture. 
Depend upon it, money is well spent in the building of wide roomy 
open sheds to give shelter from rain and flies. There should be 
some of them on every pasture, whether there are trees or not. In 
saying this we do not forget how cattle are turned out for the 
summer on marsh land innocent of shelter of any kind, but we 
also remember how often serious losses of such beasts have come 
under our notice, especially in autumn. Extensive grazing dis¬ 
tricts on marshes are frequently a sort of joint stock affair, every 
farmer who has acquired a right to do so by purchase or hire 
sending a certain number of beasts for the season under the care of 
a common herdsman, and little, if any, thought is given to the pro¬ 
vision of shelter. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Dull showery weather has much hindered corn-hceine, very little 
having been done in the past week. When out driving from farm to 
farm we have seen gangs of men hoeing, but we consider much of such 
labour wasted, and it should not be allowed ; as the men take such work 
by the acre, all they think of is getting over as much as they can of it, 
and they will persist in hoeing in damp weather if not prevented. Most 
opportune is this weather for all crops where chemical manure has been 
used, as it will be dissolved and taken up by the soil in readiness for the 
roots to feed upon. Its beneficial effects after a shower or two are 
speedily visible on pasture, which, once started into growth freely and 
well sustained by the rich store of fertility in the soil about the roots, is 
quite certain to afford plenty of herbage for grazing, and a full crop of 
hay. Very curious is it to observe the difference in early or late growth 
which fertility in the soil or the want of it causes. Take, for example, 
a field of Rye, half poverty stricken and the other half rich in fertility. 
The latter will be seen to grow twice as fast as the former at this season 
of the year, and is ready for grazing proportionately sooner, so that it is 
quite clear early growth is not a mere matter of temperature. 
The low quality of the hay made last year has induced extra care in 
cow-feeding, and the value of mixed food has been realised under such 
care. We have heard complaints of poverty of milk from poverty of 
hay, and quite believe it to be so ; but surely under the circumstances 
the wisdom of some addition to the dietary was self-evident. An extra 
ration or two of bran daily would almost suffice, and the addition of a 
few crushed Oats would ensure high condition in the animal and rich¬ 
ness in its milk. Highly as we value mixed food for cows we always 
like them to have some hay by day and in the evening, only giving as 
much as they will clear up each time. This has been done, but due care 
was also taken that the mixed food given at milking time was suffi¬ 
ciently nourishing to support them. With plenty of Rye and Rye 
Grass now, we are fast becoming independent of the hay, but the cows 
will not be turned out upon pasture till there is plenty of herbage for 
them. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 82' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8- 0" W.; Altitude, 111 foot. 
DATE. 
9A. M . 
IN THE DAY. 
1889. 
2—5 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. f 
Temp, of 
soli at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
| 
April. 
«2§ 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass 
Sunday . 
Inches. 
29.732 
deg. 
40.6 
deg. 
39.0 
N. 
deg. 
43 6 
deg. 
45.1 
deg. 
36.5 
deg. 
648 
deg. 
36.2 
In. 
0.010 
15 
29.956 
29.991 
42.1 
39-5 
N.E. 
43.0 
50.4 
36.6 
92.4 
33.1 
__ 
Tuesday ... 
16 
42 9 
39J. 
N.E. 
42 7 
50.1 
32.4 
79.8 
25.1 
— 
Wednesday. 
17 
29.985 
44.4 
42.7 
N.W. 
42 9 
56.6 
39.3 
98.1 
34 7 
— 
Thursday... 
18 
30.152 
51.8 
49.8 
N.E. 
44.4 
61.3 
44.9 
91.6 
45.3 
— 
Friday . 
19 
30.245 
50 9 
47.8 
N.E. 
45 4 
63.9 
43.7 
104.1 
38 7 
— 
Saturday ... 
20 
30.070 
52.1 
48.1 
s.w. 
47.0 
63.6 
45 2 
93.4 
40.6 
— 
30.016 
46.4 
43.7 
44.1 
55 9 
39.8 
89.2 
36.2 
o.oio 
REMARKS. 
14th.—Drizzly all dav, excepting an hoar or two in the afternoon. 
15th.—Drizzly from 8.3oto 10 A.M., and about 4 P.M., otherwise flue with occasional sun¬ 
shine. 
16th.—Fine, but cloudv almost throughout, 
irth.—Generally overcast, but occasional sunshine. 
18 th.—Cloudy morning, fair afternoon with frequent sunshine. 
19th.—Bright and warm. 
2uth.—Cloudy morning with spots of rain at 9 A.M., bright warm afternoon. 
A week of average temperature, bnt with a good deal of cloud and a much greater 
duration of rain than issuggested by the total fall.—G. J. SiMONS. 
