620 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
r Jane 19. 1890. 
•exportation of other live stock as well as cattle from America, 
"for it enumerates a terrible catalogue of losses of animals from 
•exposure, or in other words cold and starvation last winter in the 
“States contiguous to the Rocky Mountains and the west coast. Of 
•cattle 18‘.3 per cent were lost in Idaho, 17'5 per cent, in Montana, 
17 per cent, in Nevada, IG per cent, in Washington Territory, 
15 per cent, in Oregon, and 10 per cent, in California. In the 
Southern and Eastern States the losses were comparatively small, 
but for the entire country out of 52,801,907 cattle, 1,927,022 died, 
‘2'3 per cent, of the whole of the cattle in the country being posi¬ 
tively lost from cold and starvation. Of horses 233,519 were lost, 
of sheep 3,309,276, and of pigs 3,925,G91 died, or a grand total of 
’9,395,508 live stock lost outright, the greater part of which might 
have been saved by the simple means of an adequate provision of 
food and shelter. Apart from the inhumanity of the thing, one is 
really puzzled to know if there is any cause for this waste that 
•does not appear upon the surface. It can do no good to indulge in 
strong language about so serious a matter, and we should be much 
•obliged for enlightenment by any practical agriculturist on the 
other side of the Atlantic who is a reader of the Journal. Accord¬ 
ing to the report there is no provision of food and shelter for stock 
on most of the ranches in the west and north-west, but surely it 
is in the power of ranche owners to make such provision. If so, 
why are they so dead to their own interests ? The additional 
statement that in some States stockowners of late have provided 
shelter and food for the stock in winter, and have reaped great 
advantage by so doing, really reads like a piece of satire. 
Turning to our own country, we find satisfactory reports of the 
•condition in which store cattle left the yards for the pasture. 
■“ Never,” says one correspondent, “ was hay so abundant or so cheap,” 
and so we still feel the benefit of the big hay crop last year. This 
plentiful supply of fodder is, in the opinion of some fanciers, now 
■quite counterbalanced by the dull trade in beef, and it is insisted 
upon that no profit is possible upon the store cattle purchased while 
prices were so exceptionally high. Butter, too, has fallen so low in 
price that dairy cows may now be bought worth the money, but we 
think it will be found that at markets where cows are sold for 
smilk walks prices for deep milkers are always fairly high. The 
■cows of large towns or suburban dairies are regarded as mere 
milking machines. They are fed so well as to keep up a lusty con¬ 
dition and full flow of milk as long as possible, any approach to 
dryness being a signal for the butcher, as the failing cow bassoon 
fo make room for its successor. 
Happy is the farmer who, under the depression, has kept up and 
enlarged his flock, fcr now he assuredly has his reward. Prices are 
•entirely satisfactory for both sheep and lambs, but feed is plentiful, 
and feeding prospects so good that all who can will hold over the 
draft lambs for hoggets ; yet, what a boon and relief it is for those 
who can realise £100 by the sale of a couple of score of lambs! 
■Such live stock is undoubtedly the farmer’s best banker, for he can 
realise principal and interest upon it as he requires money for cur¬ 
rent expenses, and the additional profit derived from the fertility 
imparted to the soil by the sheep folds is another inducement to 
devote as much of the farm as he can to sheep. Only he must have 
sound well-bred animals, and never be tempted by so-called bargains 
■of sheep crippled by foot-rot, or any that are at all in a doubtful 
state of health. In every locality there are some really good sheep 
to be had, but flocks of really well bred first-class sheep are still the 
oxception and not the rule. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
•Haymaking has commenced in the southern counties in many places, 
but it will hardly be in full swing generally before another week. The 
time to begin is determined by condition of crop and local requirements. 
Where as much hay as possible is wanted mowing will not begin till 
the late grasses are in bloom, but where grazing is most important a 
dull development of the late grasses will not be waited for. Now with 
a steadily rising barometer, so as to have a reasonable prospect of fine 
weather, and let the tedder follow the mower closely ; keep it going 
briskly after the first turn, using the back action every morning 
to raise the hay sufficiently from the surface for the air to pass freely 
through it; and follow with the front action to toss up and well turn 
over all the hay. In fine hot weather by a free use of the tedder the 
hay can be made in a couple of days, and be carted on the third day. 
If it is well advanced on the second day it is drawn into broad rows by 
horse rakes. In doing this many green locks of herbage untouched by 
the tedder will be raked out of little hollow places, and if the surface is 
very uneven there will probably be so many green locks that if the hay 
is carted at once they will induce violent heating in the rick. To avoid 
such risk the tedder is passed along the broad rows two or three times 
to shake the green locks apart, and to bring the whole of the hay into a 
uniform and suitable condition for carting to the rick. 
In fair settled weather haycocks are unnecessary, and we avoid 
them altogether, but in showery weather wo not only make them but 
also often use handrakes to rake the hay together into small windrows 
after it is scattered about from the cocks. It is then that expenses 
mount up, and the labour bill may become twice or three times as much 
as it would be in fine weather. In making silage all this risk and 
anxiety it avoided. We have simply to mow the fodder—grass. Clover, 
Tares, Rye, or Oats—whatever it may be, to collect and cart it at once 
to the stack regardless of weather, to apply sufficient pressure to exclude 
air, and our store of winter fodder is a certainty. One would suppose 
that every farmer would hail ensilage as a boon of incalculable value, 
and that haymaking for home consumption would practically cease, yet 
one may still go to a hundred farms anci not see a stack of silage. 
Undoubtedly we farmers are slow, but whether we are sure is a very 
open question indeed. 
PRESERVING EGGS. 
About twelve years ago you gave a very useful recipe in the 
Journal for preserving eggs. SVe used it for a year or two, but have 
forgotten what the contents were. I know there were quicklime and 
magnesia, and I believe silt. If you would kindly repeat it you would 
confer a benefit on a number of your readers at this season.— Geo. 
Chaelton. 
[Possibly Mr. Tegetmeier’s recipe may be alluded to, and is as 
follows (it is good) :—“ To preserve, say, 1000 eggs, take about 66 lbs. of 
lime in lumps, and place in a strong metal or stone vessel, pouring over 
the same some two gallons of boiling water ; then cover over with strong 
sacking or bags, taking care the same does not fire, and leave in a safe 
place until quite cold. Then mix well with cold water (about twelve 
gallons), adding 7 lbs. of coarse salt, and pour carefully over the eggs, 
quire covering them, leaving out any sediment that may have settled at 
the bottom of the mixing pan. Pickle, so made, if right, will at the end 
of a few days, say one week, frost over as if covered with very thin ice, 
and if this does not happen, add more lime until the desired end is 
gained. The tanks should be examined occasionally, to see that all the 
eggs are covered with the pickle, and the latter frosted over, and also 
from time to time a little slaked lime added, by sprinkling over the 
surface, to keep up the strength of the pickle. Stone cisterns or any 
earthenware vessels are most suitable, and they should stand in a cool 
place, and not be moved about. The eggs must be freshly laid, not 
more than one week old, if good results are desired, and must be 
perfectly sound— i.e.. not cracked, and every egg should be tested by 
sounding before placing in the pickling vessel. By the above means 
eggs may be kept any reasonable time, certainly from spring to winter.” 
Another good method for preserving a few eggs for home use is to butter 
or oil them. Take the necessary number of thoroughly fresh eggs, and, 
after greasing your hands, take up an egg and rub it all over, thus 
stopping up the pores with the butter or oil. The egg must not be 
smeared but evenly done, and no butter must be left adhering in 
patches or flakes to the shell. As soon as done pack in a basket, and 
keep in a dry room or cellar, not subject to great heat.] 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CiMDBN SQUARB, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° S2' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 AM. 
IN THE DAT. 
B 
(A 
1890. 
Jiiae. 
iiiiroine- , 
ter at S2® | 
aud Sea 1 
Level. 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
1 boij at 
1 1 fool. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
la TOa 
sun. [grass 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Pundav . 
8 
30.182 
60.6 
44.4 
E. 
56.0 
61.4 
4-5.0 
96.9 
41.4 
0.140 
Monday.. 
9 
c#).072 
62.1 
54.8 
50.« 
71.7 
5}.3 
122.9 
51.5 
— 
Tuesday .... 
]U 
29.b34 
67.1 
60.0 
E. 
56.9 
74.6 
46.7 
114.4 
42.6 
0.2?0 
Wednesday,, 
It 
29.65.5 
59.0 
53.8 
S.W. 
16.9 
65.8 
59.4 
115.1 
48.2 
0.356 
I'liursday.... 
12 
29.6 3 
58.2 
53.9 
N. 
56.4 
68.9 
60.1 
112.8 
47.5 
0.267 
Friday . 
IS 
30.031 
64.4 
62.9 
N.W. 
56.5 
64.1 
51.3 
111.8 
50.6 
— 
Saturday .... 
14 
30.C73 
64.7 
49.4 
\V. 
55.9 
66.0 
48.3 
111.0 
46.2 
— 
29.9G1 
59.4 
62.7 
66.5 
67.9 
49.2 
112. L 
46.9 
0.939 
REMARKS. 
Fth.—Brieht till 10 AM , then clouded over, aud generally wet alternoon and evening. 
lir.h.—HriUlant early, and generally fine .and bright d.ay. 
loth.—Bright and warm early ; generally overcast alter 11 A.M., wet from 2.30 to 5 r M., 
and damp evening. , , , , . 
11th.—Sale, with occasional sunshine and storm rains at 930 and 11.13 and from 1 to 
2p.M, with thunder; then fair. , . 
12th.—Threatening morning; thunder betweca 0 and 1 P.M., then bright for an hour or 
two; thunder and lightning aud heavy ralu at 4.5 p.M., and ociaslonal thunder 
and showers alter. 
1.3th.—Bull and rainy till 10 A.M ; cloudy morning; fair afternoon, with some sunshine. 
nth.—Fine, with frequent sutishine. 
A very uniform week as regards temperature, and very similar to the prc Ions on*. 
Rainfall in excess, owlug chiefly to thunderstorm rains.—li. J. SYMO>'S. 
