144 
([ Febirary IS, I8D\ 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
PLANTS IN POTS. 
8 
d 
d. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d 
Aralia Sieb-Mdi, dozen •. 6 
d %( 
13 
0 
Plftas A’axtiOH, each .« 1 
6 to 7 
0 
Arum Lilies, per domett .. )2 
0 
iH 
tl 
FoiiKi? ■ plfii ts, var., each 2 
0 
10 
0 
Arborvltfe(goldeii^ do7‘.:* 6 
0 
0 
Byidoth>, 12 p'jta .. .. 7 
0 
10 
0 
Azalea various, p r d‘)Z. 18 
0 
3) 
0 
( Woruan) 12 pot^ 9 
0 
12 
0 
Re^onias. VdriouH, iieruoz 4 
0 
u 
n 
Lily fjf the V >1 ey, I2 pots 
0 
80 
0 
Balsams, per dc'^zeu.. .. 0 
0 
0 
0 
Marirueriie l)ai8v, rtoz< n 6 
0 
1 < 
0 
Caladiumd. per doz. .. 0 
0 
0 
0 
Mi,'nou« tte (>er dozen 0 
0 
0 
0 
Ohnstmas , 0 
0 
0 
0 
JI'isV, p-r do en .. .. 0 
0 
u 
0 
Beutzia, 12 pots .. .. 8 
0 
12 
0 
Mvrtle.x. dozen.H 
0 
12 
0 
Brac^enaterminali^ aoz. 
J 
4J 
0 
Palms, i r\ vur., each ., 2 
R 
21 
0 
Bracasiia viridix. doz. 
0 
^'4 
0 
Primula (siui^le) p'ird-'Z. 4 
0 
6 
0 
EpiphjlUim, per doz. .. 12 
0 
54 
0 
rih >dain.h 0 . per dt>zeii .. 0 
u 
0 
0 
Erioa, various, dozon ,, 12 
0 
IS 
0 
3 xatraga pyramidal!!, 
Euonymus. ver., doznn R 
0 
18 
0 
p't dozen .. .. 0 
0 
0 
0 
Bvert^reens, io var., doz^m 6 
0 
£4 
0 
PoUnuais, p^r d z jn .. 6 
0 
12 
0 
Ferns, in variety, dozen 4 
0 
18 
0 
Tulips, 12 1 ots.8 
0 
10 
0 
SEED TIME. 
Again has the time come round for the selection of enough 
seed for sowing requirements during the coming spring and summer, 
and it is of especial importance that the selection should be made 
with judgment, and due care taken both as to sorts and per-centage 
■of germination, in order to reduce liability to loss or failure as 
much as possible. An outlay approaching the borders of extrava¬ 
gance upon seeds is advisable upon the principle that none but the 
best should be sown, best in the full meaning of the term— i.e., in 
purity, soundness, productiveness, and general high quality. It 
will not, however, answer to procure seed corn in large quantities 
from seed merchants, and we have found that an intimation of our 
requirements to local factors at market soon renders superior 
samples forthcoming at rates only a little above ordinary market 
quotations. So important do we consider it to sow pure samples of 
the very best description, that all seed corn, whether purchased or 
home grown, is screened repeatedly till we are satisfied that all tail 
corn and weed seed is got rid of. It requires a modern screen in 
perfect order to do this work well, and this is one of the reasons 
why we never purchase an old or much worn winnowing machine. 
Of Barley there is no better sort than Webb’s Chevalier, both 
for quality and quantity. The grain is large and heavy, and the 
■ears very full and long, hut we have never had such ears of it or 
any other Barley as the marvellous examples of novel sorts shown 
by the illustrated advertisements of certain specialists recently, and 
we have had upwards of 300 acres under this crop for several 
years. We have had ears of Chevalier with twenty grains on each 
side ; that was our highest flight in Barley culture, they were mag¬ 
nificent ears, and the yield per acre was remarkable for its abund¬ 
ance. There is no doubt that mixed soil is the best of all for 
Barley ; and though we have heard legends of wonderful crops of 
fifteen coombs an acre on heavy land, experience has shown it to 
be a most uncertain crop on such land, and also-that it answers 
to give preference to such crops as Wheat, Oats, Beans, and Peas 
for it. If Barley must be grown for special reasons on heavy land, 
then it will be found that the beardless variety answers best. 
Of Oats, Black Tartarian and Canadian White are equally good 
for spring sowing, but good samples of the Black Oat are scarce. 
One may go round to the stands of an entire market and not find a 
genuine sample of really first-class “ Black Tartars.” They are 
to be had, however, and we claim for them the best land and the 
highest culture, such as they receive in Scotland, at Lothian farms 
for example. When Wheat was the leading corn crop, it was cus¬ 
tomary in East Anglia to grow just a field of Oats, and the custom 
still finds observance on many a farm. But we have proved re¬ 
peatedly that Oats repay one now for high cultivation if only the 
seed sample and land are both right. For heavy land especially we 
have no more profitable crop, few so good, and it certainly ought to 
replace Barley entirely on such land. 
Clover sowing specially for seed will still be done, but we cannot 
hope ever again to find it as profitable as it used to be. The 
quantity left for seed last year was very large, much was spoilt, 
and much got so badly that fresh seed must be ordered with 
caution. The price is kept down by heavy importations of 
foreign seed, which is said to be excellent ; but such seed so 
frequently contains Dodder that it requires almost microscopic 
inspection before purchase. For forage mixed layers are more and 
more taking the place of Clover pure and simple, and here the 
farmer can very well place his orders in all confidence with the 
specialist seedsmen. Nutriment in a more concentrated form is 
said to be found in the latest new sorts of Mangolds. The diffe¬ 
rence is merely one of degrees, and while we are able to obtain 
such heavy crops of Orange Globe and Long Red as we did last 
year, we shall have nothing to say to more expensive novelties. 
The seed should bo ordered now, so also should the Swedes and 
other Turnips, and then the Mangold sowing can be done early in 
April, and the first sowing of Swedes, as the land is ploughed after 
the sheep folds on the Rye. Never heed the outcry of croakers 
about early Mangolds bolting to seed or Swedes becoming mildewed, 
but sow early, single early, and keep the hoes going early and late 
—horse hoes as long as they can be used without injury to the 
plant, and hand hoes while there is a weed to be seen. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Never was the value of efficient under drainage more apparent than 
now, and the superiority of bush drains to pipe drains for clay land is 
well shown. Clay is so liable to seal the joints of a pipe drain and to 
render it practically useless, that although bush drains have to be 
renewed in about eight years they have preference (vith us for very 
heavy land, and we have been turning some overgrown hedges to 
account for that purpose both for new drains and for opening some 
stoppages in old ones. A few pipes only are used for the “ eyes ” or 
outfall of each drain, which is usually alongside of a deep ditch. The 
chief faults in the drains were seen and marked on the farm plans last 
summer, a “ wet ” place in a corn field caused by a faulty drain always 
being visible by the yellow and stunted growth. We may here note 
the importance of having a large working plan of every farm drawn to 
scale with the position of each drain clearly defined in it, so that it 
can always be found, and any fault marked and corrected in due course. 
The date of the making of each drain should also be entered, and also 
the material used. This is really a matter for the estate agent, but it 
also concerns the tenant so much that he should always have a dupli¬ 
cate of the plan, even if he is put to some expense to obtain it. 
The action of drains depends very much upon the mechanical condi¬ 
tion of the soil, and it has been interesting and highly satisfactory to 
see how the passage of rain water through the soil to the drains has 
been accelerated by heavy dressings of burnt clay, which have been 
worked in by plough and cultivator. This clay burning is done as 
opportunity offers during summer, and by it the quality and condition 
of the soil becomes much improved. We have been doing it gradually 
for some time, so that the expense has never been a heavy item in any 
year, while the progress made has been steadily going on year by year, 
and the value of the land has gradually increased. It is clearly the 
most economical and efficient way of soil division on a claj"^ farm ; it 
might even be said to be the only way on an outlying farm distant from 
any source of other hard materials. 
MKTEOROLOGHOAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 61° SS'40”N.; Long. 0° 8'0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
1S90. 
February. 
g«(n « 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
soil at 
Ifoot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
a 
■3 
PS 
5ii c ^ 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In • 
sun. 
On 
grass 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday.. 
2 
30.1.58 
44 6 
42 4 
W. 
43.0 
47.9 
43.4 
55.7 
4.0 
— 
Monday. 
S 
30.4.7 
31.x 
312 
N. 
41 6 
46.1 
27.6 
67.2 
2i.O 
— 
Tuesday .... 
4 
30.215 
33.9 
33.9 
N.E, 
59.8 
43 8 
80.2 
68.9 
26 9 
0 010 
Wednesday,. 
6 
30.087 
39.9 
39.3 
N.E. 
39.5 
43.9 
49.1 
31.8 
0.O15 
Thursday.... 
6 
30.251 
84 7 
b3.0 
N.E. 
389 
43.9 
83.1 
73.3 
2K4 
0.010 
Friday . 
7 
30.416 
38.9 
36.1 
E. 
35.9 
42.2 
34 4 
48.6 
19.0 
— 
Saturday .... 
8 
30.418 
32 4 
81.4 
E. 
38 2 
42.2 
29.9 
7U.2 
25.6 
~ 
80.2 ifO 
3G.6 
35.3 
40.0 
44.6 
33,1 
61.9 
29,5 
0.035 
REMARKS. 
2nd.—Fine, with some sunshine In afternoon; clear moonlight night. 
3rd.—Fog till about 9 A.M., then sunshine throughoat. 
4th.—Might fog early, bright fresh day. 
fith.—Dull damp morning; a little sunshine in late afternoon; bright night. 
O.h.—Cloudy, with slight snow and rain till 11 A.M., then sunshine and slight showers 
alternately. 
7th.—Cloudy but fine. 
8th.—Unbroken sunshine. 
A very fine and seasonable week. On the afternoon of the 4th, when it was warm 
and flue sunshine here, it was to foggy in town that the tab! had the r lamps alight.— 
G. J. STMOSS. 
