3 Hj 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Apiil £8, 1887. 
even when prices wore remunerative, they were bouu 1 to 
succumb to the difficulties arising fro n a depression 
which has grown in intensity and has beome more 
accentuated year by year. Under such a crisis much 
suffering was inevitable before any relief from without 
could be had. The tenant farmer very naturally turned 
lirst of all to his landlord, and though his plea for a re¬ 
duction of rent may not have met with a ready response 
at the outset, yet when the landlords realised fully the 
gravity of the crisis the tenants’ cry for help was met 
nobly, reduction after reduction being made till the land¬ 
lord’s income suffered a serious diminution. 
Apart from high rents, it is unquestionable that the 
land was laden with a burden of tithe and other taxes, 
local and imperial, that could only be supported in 
prosperous times, Belief from this burden comes to the 
farmer, it may be slowly, but nevertheless surely. The 
tithe we are just now paying is comparatively a low one, 
and the next may fall still lower. The Tithe Bill now 
before Parliament holds out no prospect of immediate 
relief, for there is a clause binding all tenants who are 
now paying tithes under their agreement to continue 
doing so until the expiration of the term of such agree¬ 
ment or lease. After all, what is the tithe rent charge 
but a tax upon the land ? for if a bdl is passed whereby 
the landlord is made to pay the tithe, he can compel the 
tenant to pay its equivalent by an addition to his rent. 
What is really wanted is a practical scheme for tithe 
redemption, so that the land may be set free from it 
without serious injury to vested rights. 
The payment of income tax under schedule B has 
remained in force upon farmers, but it has been made 
recoverable upon appeal if proof could be shown of an 
insufficient income to meet it. This clumsy and tedious 
method of procedure will now be set aside if the clause in 
the budget of last week, rendering it optional for farmers 
to pay income tax only on the profit, becomes law. If 
only this should become the principle of all subse¬ 
quent taxation on farms and farm produce, then, indeed, 
will farmers have a just and equitable measure of stale 
aid extended to them which will afford them relief from 
a burden that has become oppressive and therefore unjust. 
But it may be said “ It is not from taxation we are 
suffering so much as low prices for our farm produce. 
We cannot obtain enough money either for our corn or 
animals to enable us to meet our engagements, or in other 
words to pay our way.” Such an argument as this opens 
up the entire question of good and bad farming, and we 
are at once disposed to inquire into practice and results. 
These are not times for fanciful practice; rigid economy 
must obtain if we would have farming answer. Some 
three months ago we purchased a score of bullocks fresh 
and tolerably forward in condition to consume a certain 
quantity of roots, straw, and corn. This has been done, 
and the bullocks are almost all sold, the transaction 
proving fairly profitable under our guiding principle of 
small profits and quick returns. Calling at a tenant’s 
farm a few days ago we were shown a yard of medium¬ 
sized bullocks worth about .£15 apiece. We advised an 
immediate sale, as we were told they were having cake 
regularly, but the owner said, No; he should not sell 
them till July, as he had set his heart upon having at 
least £20 apiece for them. It is true enough that cake 
is cheap, and we are now able to purchase our favourite 
Waterloo round cake for £7 10s. per ton, but we have 
found it answer best generally to avoid the purchase of 
cake and to fatten with home-grown food. Pulped roots, 
crushed Oats and Beans, chaffed hay and straw carefully 
mixed, will fatten any live stock. Far better is it to do 
ttiis than to sell Beans at 32s. a quarter and Oats as low 
as 12s. to 14s. 
We have sone difficulty to overcome the prejudice 
which exists against using Oats for fattening pigs in 
Barley-growing districts. In Sussex, Oats ground or 
crushed are in high favour for fattening chickens as well 
as sheep, pigs, and bullocks, but in Kent and the eastern 
counties barleymeal is used for pigs in preference to 
Oats. Custom and habit tell in such things much more 
than any knowledge of the relative fattening properties 
of the different kinds of corn. Under the Woburn ex¬ 
periments sheep were found to fatten best upon a diet 
consisting principally of Wheat, yet we have been told 
repeatedly by men whose lives have been spent among 
farm stock that Wheat was a dangerous article of food for 
animals, often proving fatal to them. 
WORK ON TEE HOME FARM. 
Barley siwing lias this year ex ten led from the middle of February 
to the third week in April, the early sowings being long in the soil 
before growth was perceptible ; but the late sowings have been followed 
by speedy germination, simply because the land was ploughed and sown 
at once before the soil became dry. The late sowings were on land 
where sheep had been folded upon late Turnips or Swedes, and we have 
no reason to suppose that the Barley crop will not be as good in quantity 
and quality as from that sown earlier in the season. Well is it. however, 
to get forward with work always, for the advancing season brings a 
pressure of work with it. Upon most farms land intended for Swedes 
and early crops of white Turnips is now being prepared for cropping, so 
that there may be but little to do to it but the sowing when the season 
for doing so arrives, and when we may be busy with the haymaking. 
The rolling of winter and early spring corn has now been done, and the 
horse hoes are at work between the winter Beaus, of which so many 
plants have been killed by frost that farmers will have ample oppor¬ 
tunities to judge between the merits of thick and thin seeding. The 
Rye upon which the ewes and lambs are folded was fully a foot high 
last week, and it warm showers set in we fear some of it will be in ear 
before the sheep have finished it. Second year Sainfoin has grown s> 
fast that it was available for folding a week ago had wo wanted it.. 
This is a most valuable fodder crop wherever it answers. We mention 
it here because of the importance of every early green crop in spring. 
We cannot, however, too often repeat that corliness of growth depends 
very much upon having the soil well stored with fertility. For example, 
on our home farm the Rye on rich land is wonderfully early and 
abundant; on an off farm, where it was sown on poor land, it is not 
yet ready for the sheep. Several of our cart mares have foaled, and th e 
foals are without exception healthy and strong. A surplus stock of 
young horses led us to pay some attention to recent horse sales, and we 
found the average price of two-year colts coming to hand for work this 
spring is about £15. 
“ Farm, Field, and Fireside ” is the title of a new penny 
agricultural, rural, and domestic journal that has been sent to us. It 
consists of twenty-four pages of letterpress, and includes a good assort¬ 
ment of articles on the subjects indicated, and others of a nature in¬ 
teresting to persons engaged in home pursuits. It is published at No. 
Essex Street, Strand, London. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden squire, Londoi. 
Lat. 51°32' 40" N.; Lin/, 0° 8- 0" W.; Altitude 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
. 
IX THE DAY. 
1887. 
-V ° oS 
B S - 
Hygrome- 
C3 . 
Shade Tern- 
Radiation 
a 
B 
ter. 
cL— o 
B"? O 
perature. 
Temperature 
cd 
K 
April. 
~ £ C3” 5 
In 
On 
—< *- cJ 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Co 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass 
Inches. 
deg 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
dear. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday . 
3J.722 
40.1 
3G2 
NT.F. 
42 8 
53.4 
26.2 
76.4 
21.8 
Monday. 
30.523 
415 
30.9 
N.R. 
42.2 
64 7 
81.0 
301-7 
25.2 
_ 
Tuesday .. 
Ill 
30.324 
54 8 
46.2 
-V.W. 
43.5 
68 2 
43.2 
113.4 
33.7 
Wednesday. 
2) 
30.154 
51 G 
4 5.3 
w. 
44 9 
648 
381 
1084 
20.4 
_ 
Thursday ... 
2 ! 
20.055 
47-5 
44 4 
N. 
46.3 
61.7 
87.0 
100.4 
32.2 
0.012 
Friday . 
22 
20 501 
52.9 
43.9 
W. 
46.8 
61.4 
45.1 
104.7 
388 
0.032 
Saturday ... 
28 
29.302 
513 
48 3 
s.w. 
47.2 
59 7 
45.8 
103 7 
41.4 
0.22 0 
30.001 
49.0 
44.3 
44 8 
62.0 
38.2 
102 0 
34.8 
0.264 
REMARKS. 
17th.—Frost early, fine bright day. 
18th.—A glorione si ring day. 
19th.—Fair early, at times overcast, fine later; bright afternoon and very warm. 
20th.—Fine, bright, and very warm. 
21st.—Dull and overcast early, fine and bright towards noon; fine afternoon, cionL tig 
over at times; a little rain in the night. 
22nd.—Generally cloudy, slight showers in evening and night. 
23rd.—Showery early, bright after 10 A.M. 
A bright, warm, dry week, all tile rain having fallen at night. Temperatn -e about 
rD above that of the preceding week,and nearly 2s above tlie average. The minimum on 
the 17th was exceptionally low, and the range of temperature (43* in the shade 
unusually great.—Q. J. SYMONS. 
