143 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
August 9, ]89'4. 
POOR PASTURE. 
The influence of the weather upon farming is so important 
as to demand more—much more—than mere recognition to be 
worthy of careful study, in order that by skilful practice as little 
harm and as much good as possible may be had from it by all 
farm crops. This can only be when thorough tillage and 
susta’ned fertility of soil are in combination with timely 
culture, prompt action, and a habit of always being beforehand 
with our work. Applying as this reasoning does to every crop 
on the farm, it has especial force just now in its relation to 
pasture good and bad. It is a lesson of the seasons that is 
easily grasped however they may differ. It told as powerfully 
in the great drought of last year as it is telling in the showery 
weather now. Then it gave us a fair hay crop, and an after- 
math of tbe highest value, now it has given a heavy crop of hay, 
with an aftermath of remarkable abundance, the luxuiflance of 
which has been admirably sustained by true St. Swithin’s 
weather. 
Only to rich pasture so forward in growth that the hay was 
all in stack before St. Swithin’s Day does this statement apply, 
and it is worth while remembering that on such pasture the 
growth always is comparatively early. Poor pasture, on the 
contrary, is so late and slow in growth that it is altogether the 
sport of seasons. At best the haymaking is some weeks after 
that on rich pasture, at worst it is months behind time. The 
best summer grazing is lost altogether, autumn grazing is only 
possible, even that being lost if dry hot weather sets in after 
the haymaking. Take the present season for example. On the 
1st of August haymaking had been in hand for full three weeks 
at many a farm, some had been put into stack, much was still 
out, some had yet to be mown; all that was mown had been 
more or less exposed to rain in the making, had suffered in 
quality, and had been in and out of cock so many times that 
deterioration in quality was very much upon a par with extra 
labour. Loss of colour and loss of flavour were coincident, so, 
too, was loss of time and loss of money, to say nothing of the 
attendant anxiety. Compare all this with the hay made in June 
or the first week in July. The bright settled weather enabled 
us to get through the work with dispatch and certainty. The 
hay is as high in colour as it is in flavour, and as usual the 
best hay is the cheapest hay, owing to the little labour required 
in making it. The rain which proved so troublesome and 
costly for the late hay was altogether a boon and blessing on 
the early mown meadows. Is not the lesson obvious—the 
inference clear ? To be able to mow early there must be early 
growth. To obtain this we must feed the land, must store it 
with fertility, must give it an annual dressing of manure. 
Had part of the money spent for labour in saving much of 
the late hay been used in the purchase of pure chemical 
manures, applied to the pasture at the end of February, early 
growth would have been a certainty ; and then by mowing 
when the grasses were in full bloom and before any seed was 
visible, early and cheap hay of the best quality would have 
been equally certain, as, too, would an abundant aHermath, and 
the best of summer grazing. 
We invite attention to this important matter now while 
cause and effect are before us. To regard any pasture as 
permanently good or bad is absurd; that wh’ch is naturally 
good will deteriorate if neglected, that which is naturally so 
bad as to be very poor may be gradually improved at a moderate 
annual outlay as to be highly profitable both for hay and 
grazing. To the owners of such land whose interest clearly 
lies in its improvement we advise an inquiry into the conditidn 
of its drainage. A glance at its herbage is often sufficient for 
an expert. When there is a doubt a few trial holes soon show 
if water is present hurtfully in the soil. If it is, then thorough 
drainage is the key to a radical change in the condition of the 
pasture. How the drainage is done depends altogether upon 
the nature of the soil. Once get the drainage right, then the 
improvement of the herbage, the enrichment of the soil, and 
full crops are all an easy matter. 
In the tenants’ interest we should like it made compulsory 
for soil fertility to be fully sustained by him, and for him to 
afford proof to his landlord of doing so by annual dressings of 
pure manure. We do know tenant farmers whose annual 
expenditure upon chemical manures amounts to thousands of 
pounds, but they are few and far between; while those who 
never spend a penny upon manure of any sort, taking all that 
offers out of the land and putting nothing back beyond the 
excreta of the animals turned out to graze upon it, are 
numerous enough. These are the men who have poor pasture, 
who are the sport of seasons, who clog the wheels of progress,, 
and who complain of hard times. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Corn is changing to ripeness very fast, and harvest is already pro¬ 
gressing in the south, though even there we have seen some backward 
crops on cold heavy land. Rye and Winter Oats were hardly cleared 
before Wheat cutting began where the sowing was done early last 
autumn. For our part we see nothing to gain ; rather much to lose by 
leaving Wheat and Oats unreaped after the grain becomes firm, or from 
which the milky juice ceases to come when pressed between the finger 
and thumb. Get the reaper at work early, say we; look well to the 
thorough exposure of sheaf bottoms if they contain much growth of 
weeds. Clover, or seeds, turning them once or twice in shock if neces¬ 
sary, and push on carting and stacking, never missing a day of 
fine weather. Under good management there should be little need of 
attending markets during harvest. The corn may be let by the acre ; 
but there are numerous other matters requiring the master’s eye, and he 
has much to consider both for the present and future. 
The clearance of the first corn field should be followed by the swine 
herd. The flock may have a run upon the stubbles for an hour or two 
daily, care being taken to have the sheep off before they cram them¬ 
selves with corn ears, as they will do to their hurt. Clean up the fallen 
corn in one field, and so on, in order that skim coulter, horse hoes, and 
harrows may get to work upon the land promptly. Autumn tillage 
before all things. Get the land clean and ridged as fast as you can ; 
every hour of good work now points to a fine seed bed, early sowing, 
and speedy seed germination next spring. If Trifolium incarnatum 
answers with you select a clean stubble, sow it broadcast in August, and 
harrow the seed well in with light harrows. It is important with this 
useful forage crop to get a full strong plant well established before cold 
weather sets in. Where the harvest is early a fewstubble Turnips may be 
worth while, but with abundance of late Swedes we should not sow them. 
It will be only by making a special effort now and onwards that the 
stubbles can be finished in time to turn to the root crops, which are 
now making such extraordinary progress. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat.Sl® 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude. HI feet 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
In the Day. 
d 
‘S 
1894. 
July and 
August. 
1 Barometer 
j at 32°, and 
1 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 .. 
29 
29-984 
71-5 
65-4 
N.B. 
62-2 
77-3 
57-0 
111-4 
51-8 
0-172 
Monday ., 
30 
29-958 
61-0 
68-2 
N. 
62-4 
70-9 
57-8 
113-2 
56-1 
Tuesday ., 
31 
30-023 
64 4 
.58-6 
Calm. 
61-9 
76-6 
54-6 
114-9 
51-6 
Wednesday 
1 
29-907 
62-9 
59-2 
S. 
62-6 
68-2 
58-1 
93-0 
55-8 
Thursday .. 
2 
29-708 
63-1 
58-4 
S. 
62 0 
69-4 
59-0 
114-0 
57-9 
0-023 
Friday 
3 
•29 598 
62-8 
56-1 
W. 
61-4 
69-8 
52-1 
121-9 
49-1 
— 
Saturday .. 
4 
29-790 
64-0 
57-9 
W. 
61-7 
71-1 
52-1 
117-5 
50-2 
0-010 
29-853 
64-2 
59-1 
62-0 
71-9 
55-8 
112-3 
53-2 
0-205. 
REMARKS. 
29th.—Overcast almost throughout, threatening in afternoon; spots of rain about 9 p.M'. 
30th.—Rain from 4 a.m. to 6.30 a.m., and overcast till noon; generally sunny in afternoon.. 
31st.—Fine, bnt generally hazy, and occasionally threatening. 
1st.—Overcast, with frequent spots of rain or drizzle till about 2 P.M., occasional 
sunshine later. 
2nd.—Overcast, with frequent drizzle or spots of rain, and showers at 1.45 p.M. and 
6 p.M.; generally sunny from 2.3J P.M. to 8 P.M. 
3rd.—Fine, and frequently sunny, but spots of rain at 4.30 P.M. 
4th.—Occasional sunshine in morning; overcast afternoon ; spots of rain at 6 p.M. 
A variable week. No day absolutely sunless, but much cloud. Temperature very 
near the average.—G. J. Si’MOXS. 
