642 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jane 28| 1090. 
Tment has taken place. The principal reason for this is probably 
mot owing so much to a want of knowledge as a want of means. It 
is notorious that farmhouses generally are sadly deficient in dairy 
^iccommodation, and there can be no doubt that dairy factories are 
the real remedy, and that there we obtain that uniform quality 
which is indispensable to a brisk demand and prompt sale. 
Meanwhile the loss to the British farmer is enormous, the 
walue of dairy produce imported during the first three months this 
ye.ir amounting to £8,262,265, or £344,437 more that it was 
•during the corresponding period last year. Do we realise what this 
means ? Divide the total by the number of days contained in those 
three months and it works out at £90,000 a day lost to the farmers 
•of this country. Clearly a very great improvement in our dairy 
practice is possible, by any means—self-help and united effort, no 
matter which—only let us do what is entirely in our power, and 
that is to produce butter and cheese of such uniform excellence as 
to command a profitable sale. The market is open, provision 
merchants have to supply a want, and they just purchase at the 
foest market. 
Instead of continuing to grow Wheat at a loss we should do 
well to adapt our cropping to the requirements of the day, keeping 
more and better live stock both for dairy and butcher, and growing 
«is much food upon the farm for them as possible. At Eston 
Orange some members of the As'ociation were shown a fine herd 
of about forty cows, all described as useful milkers. One of them 
gave 1430 gallons of milk last year, which at market price came to 
£41 153. 6d., and the average value of the produce of twenty-one 
of the cows was stated as being £35 Ifis. 2d. It is proposed to 
establish a herd book for deep milkers, and gladly do we hail this 
as being decidedly a step onwards in the right direction, for it is 
•certain that the milk yield generally would be much increased by 
careful selection and breeding. 
A hopeful view of the future of agriculture is taken by most 
practical farmers, and one case cannot by any means be regarded 
as bad or even doubtful. Rents have come down from 30 to 50 
per cent.; chemical manures and feeding stuffs have also fallen 
considerably in value. Cheap land, cheap manure, and cheap food 
are all to be had, and though Wheat is so low that its cultivation is 
being more and more confined to the best land only, yet there is 
an ample margin of profit to be made upon most other farm pro¬ 
duce if only the necessary amount of skill, energy, and persever¬ 
ance are brought to bear upon its production. Beef, mutton, pork, 
poultry, eggs, butter, milk, cheese, lard, bacon are all in constant 
demand, and are all highly profitable to the farmer if only they 
are of the best, but they must be that, and it is simply a matter 
for individual effort to make them so. 
Possible improvement! Aye ! there is indeed ample scope for 
it, and the very best form of protection we can strive for is to 
render our farm produce so superior, so high in quality, as to com- 
tnaiid preferential attention in our own markets. That is the way 
to meet the importer, that is the way to protect our interests. 
An open market have we, and the vox populi which, in this case at 
any rate is but the utterance of common sense, will never suffer 
our lawgivers to close it. Imperial federation is probable, and the 
very mention of it is a reminder that Great Britain is only the 
head and centre of a vast empire, that our markets can never be 
closed to the produce of our own colonies, and it follows that we 
shall always be in competition with countries beyond the seas. We 
must help ourselves, and the first step to improvement will be 
taken when we accord full and frank recognition to its possibility. 
An able writer in Bell's Weeldy Messenger points out that English 
factory butter fetches the very highest price, but it is a very, very 
scarce commodity, and that is the reason why Denmark sent us 
over 75,000,000 lbs. of butter last year, in addition to what we 
imported from France, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Norway, 
Holland, Italy, Russia, United States, Canada, Australia, New 
Zealand, East Indies, and other countries. Last year’s total value 
of dairy produce imported into this country reached the immense 
sum of £32,451,598, an increase of more than £3,000,000 sterling 
on the amount recorded in 1888. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Haymaking, ensilage, fallows, and due attention to live stock, among 
which poultry takes a prominent place, are the chief things requiring 
special attention now. Of poultry we have now a very fine stock, and 
we have not a single case of gapes to record among chickens this year. 
To all who have home farms we especially commend our contemporary 
Poultry, published weekly at the journal office, as not only abounding 
with useful hints upon poultry management, but also as showing where 
to obtain a supply of stock birds. Early last spring we got through 
Poultry a stock of fine Minorca pullets and a cockerel. This has proved 
one of the best investments we ever made, for they answer most admir¬ 
ably to their character of continuous layers, and while other breeds fall 
off they continue to afford a full supply of magnificent eggs. As old 
hens of all breeds cease laying they are either disposed of at once or 
fattened for sale, our rule being only to keep young stock over winter, 
and we think there is a considerable waste of food in many poultry yards 
upon old hens that might just as well be avoided. At the home farm 
healthy old hens are always in demand for the cook’s stock pot, but care 
must be taken that they are quite healthy, as a doubtful bird may spoil 
the soup, and vials of wrath will be poured out upon the bailiff, within 
whose duty it certainly falls to see that all produce sent from the farm 
for home consumption is sweet and wholesome. 
Ducklings are now in demand, and our stock is calculated to keep 
up the supply during the Pea season, after which only an occasional 
duck or two is required, and a very few stock birds are sufficient. Early 
turkey poults are now growing fast, and all of them will be well 
advanced by the time stubble feeding begins. An early supply of these 
birds is always welcome, and when once we begin sending them to the 
Hall at least one a week is required onwards throughout the season. 
This enables us to make a safe calculation as to numbers, which we 
extend to a safe margin, but it is best to avoid late birds, as they so 
frequently fai), and rather to send the eggs for use in the kitchen. 
Preserving eggs is an important part of the home farmer’s duties, and 
while the methods described last week are perfectly reliable, we strongly 
advise the improved method of a solution of glacialine, into which dip 
the eggs for an hour, they will then remain quite fresh for several 
months, so fresh as not easily to be distinguished from new laid eggs. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Oats Dying iGuiUford').—1\s.e Oats you send exactly resemble 
some we recently inspected in a field, the enemy being the cockchafer 
grub. It is most difficult to eradicate. A strong dressing of gas lime 
worked into the ground in winter has been found serviceable, as has a 
soaking with ammonical liquor from gasworks, but not always efficacious. 
On the Continent it has been found advantageous to encourage the 
increase of starlings by providing them with nesting boxes, one of 
which has been figured in the Journal of Horticulture. 
Seed Stands at Plymouth. —At the Royal Agricultural Society s 
Exhibition, which opened at Plymouth on 23rd inst. and closes to¬ 
morrow (Friday) night, Messrs. Sutton & Sons have a splendid show of 
their world-renowned seeds. Their stand, which is the same as they 
had at the Jubilee Show at Windsor, is most elaborately fitted up and 
their specialties tastefully laid out. Some little distance away Messrs. 
Webb make a splendid display, the well known Stourbridge firm, 
having some magnificent specimens on view. Close by is the stand of 
Messrs. Carter & Co., who likewise have a most extensive and excellent 
show of their varied specialties. The numerous assistants at the 
respective stands appeared as busy as bees. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" \V.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
date. 
9 AM. 
In the day. 
• aS 
Hygr^me- 
Shade Tern- 
Radiation 
B 
1890. 
ter. 
i: a 
perature. 
Temperature. 
June. 
Ss’S'S 
1$::^ 
In 
On 
Dry. 
Wet. 
5o 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
dea. 
deg. 
In. 
?nndav. 
15 
3‘.410 
57.2 
52.2 
Calm 
56.2 
71.9 
47.8 
H9.9 
45.4 
Monday. 
16 
30.258 
61.4 
57.3 
S.W. 
57.3 
74.9 
54.1 
121.7 
61.7 
0.071 
Tuesday .... 
37 
80.027 
67.3 
54.9 
s.w. 
59.1 
66.0 
53.9 
103.2 
54.3 
0.('26 
Wednesday,. 
18 
BO.101 
58.8 
53.9 
w. 
£7.4 
71.0 
46.8 
114.H 
44.U 
Thursday.... 
19 
30.128 
61.8 
52.8 
w. 
68.2 
69.6 
54.8 
lll.O 
51.0 
— 
Friday . 
20 
30.<81 
69.0 
52.9 
w. 
58.9 
70.0 
60.6 
113.9 
47.6 
Saturday .... 
21 
30.117 
63.8 
54.9 
N.E. 
59.6 
74.4 
49.0 
102.5 
43.7 
0.150 
30.160 
59.9 
fit.i 
ts.l 
71.0 
51.0 
111.0 
48.2 
0.247 
REMARKS. 
Ifth.—Fine anrt mnshiny, but rather close and oppressive. 
Ifiih—Bright warm day; cloudy af er 4 30. . , , ^ «v> xr 
17th.—Wet till 9 AJtf., then general y overcast, and then rain again from 5 P M to » r m. 
Ijjth.—Brilliant morniug,cloudy at times in afternoon ; spots of rain and slight ihowerj 
afrer 6 P.il. 
19th.—Generally cloudy,bnt some sunshine In the aHernoon. 
2'Mh.—(Utmdy niornme; bright bfrernron. 
2Ut.—Generally cloudy, but »ome sunshine in the afternoon : heaw rain In the eveninv. 
Another of the many weeks in which the temperature this year has been reinaikabij 
near the average, and has presented no exceptional features.—G. J. SYMO^'S. 
