48 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Ju’y 12,1894. 
RENT ABATEMENT. 
~ Another rent audit is over, leaving behind it much food for 
thought as to the relations of landlord and tenant, the ability of 
tenants to grapple with the difficulties of hard times, the possi¬ 
bility of beneficial change in farm management, individual 
peculiarities, and many kindred matters. Much thought had been 
given to the question of abatement, and though a liberal con¬ 
cession was made not all the tenants were able to pay even the 
reduced amount of their Lady Day rent. That this was owing 
very much to the great drought of last year is certain. A short 
hay crop—in many an instance an almost total failure of the 
hay crop; cows so underfed all last summer that the milk 
yield was proportionately low, the heavy outlay upon fodder 
last winter, the poor condition of cows and store cattle in spring 
has all told. As we write this in a midland farmhouse some 
yearling beasts, visible from the windows, are still in such 
wretched plight that the mere sight of them brings a feeling 
akin to despair as to the possibility of ever seeing them as sleek 
and healthy as they ought to be now. 
This suffering among animals and the poverty of farmers 
from the effects of a single bad season shows clearly such a 
lack of staying power that it serves to confirm our opinion that 
very many farmers have too much land. A farm of moderate 
size well within the scope of the tenant’s means must not only 
prove profitable generally in all ordinary seasons, but also in 
extraordinary seasons of drought or excessive wet, of abnormal 
cold or heat, if only the management is sound, sensible and 
elastic. It is this conviction that gives rise to the question, Is 
it fa r upon a landlord to ask him for rent abatements for 
tenants whose difficulties are very much owing to ignorance, 
carelessness, and a want of business capacity ? Clearly it is not, 
but then there are the tenants, such as they are; if they are 
not helped they may fail outright, so the only thing to do is to 
make the best of it. In the new order of things the change to 
tenants having a sound agricultural education, reading as well 
as acting men, well posted in the world's doings, in the wants of 
the people and how to supply them we may look for the 
exercise of more discretion in the hiring of farms, more 
thoroughness in everything. Then indeed will landlord and 
tenant combine for their mutual benefit, and if abatements are 
ever required they will be cheerfully accorded, and as cheerfully 
repaid. 
Perhaps the most difficult matter to grapple with is rent 
arrears. When once a tenant falls into arrears the difficulties 
of his position are so accentuated that his load of debt is like 
an incubus, which cripples his efforts, robs him of hope, often 
renders him careless, helpless, and despondent. At the next 
audit he finds he cannot 1 eep faith ; he pays what he can, with a 
vague promise of the b vlance, and so frequently goes on from 
bad to worse. It is curi ous how some men continue to struggle 
on, hoping against hope. We have one tenant to whom, when 
he first fell into arrears, we offered a smaller farm as calculated 
to afford him a chance to do better. He declined upon the 
score that he was confident of pulling round if only he had 
time. At each subsequent audit he went deeper into the 
mire of debt, his farm is understocked, he has no means to 
purchase more, his land is so poor that his crops are inferior, 
his outlook is gloomy in the extreme. In fairness to the land¬ 
lord there must be a limit to the forbearance shown him. The 
only question for decision in connection with the continuance 
of his tenancy is a permanent reduction of rent. This is a 
matter requiring most delicate handling, in this instance 
resolving itself into a question of what the land is capable of, 
what profit is possible under good management, and if the 
produce 's under fair conditions, calculated to obtain a good 
market On many dairy farms we hold that much improvement 
is possible; this must not be forgotten in its relation to rent 
values. Permanent pasture under really gocd cultivation is a 
very different thing to poor neglected pasture. Then, too, there 
are the few acres of arable land for the home supply of corn, 
sPaw, roots, and green crops. We know some such farms which, 
answer perfectly to our ideal, the tenants of which are as 
thriving and prosperous as they richly deserve to be. 
WOEK ON THE HOME FARM. 
On the arable land much good work has been done among root and 
green crops and foul land generally. The hot, dry weather has been 
most favourable to all such work. It was necessary to be prompt in 
using the horse hoes, as growth has gone on with such rapidity that the 
early Mangold and Swede plant is fast spreading across the space 
between the rows. Cabbage and Kale have also grown to a large size, 
so quickly that we have seen some Cabbages planted so thickly that 
the growth had met before the weeds were got under. If only the land 
is as rich in fertility as it ought to be for such crops we hold with 
ample space between the plant to admit of a free use of horse hoes 
while it is necessary. The Cabbages are much finer, and more weight 
of crop per acre is had from the larger growth. A well-developed 
Drumhead Cabbage of 30 or 40 lbs. weight is entirely possible under 
good cultivation, and is most wholesome, nutritious food. This crop- 
had so good a start this spring, and was so well established early in the 
soil that a really fine, useful crop is a certainty in all good soil. 
The advantage of early sowing of fodder and root crops was never 
more apparent than it is now. All the early crops are thriving, but 
late sown Swedes and white Turnips have suffered fexrfully from fly 
in the recent hot, dry weather. Pasture, too, is suffering from drought, 
brown patches being visible, and with the hay secured in good order 
rain will be welcomed. Very much of the hay crop has been saved in 
prime condition, meadow Grass, seeds, and Clover being alike good in 
quality and abundant in quantity. 
Among live stock sheep and lambs have been much troubled by flies, 
a close daily watch having to be kept, and prompt treatment applied. 
No sheep-dip can be depended upon to keep off such attacks in sultry 
weather. Calves have to be kept shut in their hovels during the heat 
of the day and let out in the paddocks early in the evening till next 
morning. Some Lucerne or Tares is given them in the hovel rack, they 
have access to water, and are thus kept from the worry of flies. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Poor Pasture (^H. P .').—Your only chance for this season is to- 
procure enough nitrate of soda to afford a dressing of a hundredweight 
per acre, and to sow it broadcast over the pasture in showery weather. 
It would then be dissolved and washed into the soil sufficiently to induce 
growth. Next February apply a dressing of chemical manure, consist¬ 
ing per acre of 1 cwt. nitrate of soda, half-cwt. muriate of potash, half- 
cwt. mineral superphosphate, and half-cwt. steamed bone flour. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat.51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude. Ill feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
In the Day. 
a 
07 
Pi 
1894. 
July. 
Barometer 
at 32“,and 
Sea Level. 
Hygrometer. 
Direc¬ 
tion of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of soil 
at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun. 
On 
Grass. 
Inchs. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Inchs.. 
Sunday ,. 
1 
30-294 
71-5 
63-8 
N.B. 
64-8 
84-4 
55-0 
121-2 
50-4 
— 
Monday .. 
2 
30-165 
71-3 
64-7 
S.W. 
65-8 
81-9 
59-6 
126-6 
52-9 
0-C6) 
Tuesday .. 
3 
30-121 
66-1 
59-6 
N. 
65-3 
73-1 
60-0 
1190 
55-8 
— 
W ednesday 
4 
30-184 
65-2 
56-6 
N. 
64-0 
78-0 
49-9 
123-1 
43-6 
— 
Thursday.. 
5 
30-176 
66-9 
59-1 
E. 
64-0 
81-3 
54-0 
122-3 
46-2 
— 
Friday 
6 
30-023 
73-9 
64-0 
E. 
64-6 
88-2 
56-6 
128-2 
48 0 
0-164 
Saturday .. 
7 
30-017 
65-1 
55-3 
S.W. 
65-0 
72-6 
57-3 
123-4 
53 4 
0-02R 
30-140 
68-6 
60-4 
64-8 
79-9 
56-1 
123-4 
60-0 
0-262 
REMARKS. 
1st.—Hot sun and cool breeze throughout. 
2iid,—Overcast morning, with occasional gleams of sun; generally sunny afternoon* 
3rd.—Generally overcast, with gleams of sun in morning; fair afternoon, sunny at 
times. 
4th.—Sunny and pleasant, but detached cloud obscuring the sun at times. 
5th.—Sunny throughout. 
6th.—Sunny and hot till 3 r.M., then gradually clouded over; two peals of thunder at 
5.30 P.M., and rain from 5.45 to 6.30 P.M. ; rain again and distant thunder and 
lightning from 8.30 P.M. to 10.30 P.M. _ . • 
7th.—Sunny at times in morning; generally overcast in afternoon; slight showers in- 
evening. , . ^ 
A decidedly hot fine week, with thunderstorm (but not much rain) on Friday 
evening.—G. J. SVMONS. 
