376 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 18,1894. 
The pasture already reclaimed had been laid down for about 
twelve years. It was thin in plant, poor in herbage, with hardly 
a trace of Clover, and always late and weak in growth. The 
tenant did practically nothing to improve or cultivate it; the 
only manure was just the excreta of stock grazing upon it; and 
so it had gone on, tenant, owner, and neighbouring farmers all 
regarding it as poor pasture quite incapable of improvement 
When we were asked if it must always remain so, we replied 
“ Certainly not, its improvement is simply a question of ways 
and means; there is no insuperable difficulty, nothing to prevent 
it becoming really excellent pasture, quite equal to that,” point¬ 
ing to an old meadow famous for its high grazing properties. 
Though this was received with a smile of incredulity, when we 
went on to explain details of improvement, and to quietly, but 
firmly, insist that it would prove a judicious, because profitable, 
investment, we were requested to go aheai. This is what was 
done. 
The soil was about the worst form of heavy land—compact, 
tenacious, gravelly, clay. There had been an attempt at drainage 
which was as ridiculous as it was useless, and we resolved to 
have it done thoroughly, very much as we had done much similar 
heavy land in Suffolk, with this difference, that there we used 
the local bush drain, but here we used pipes. Our pro forma 
bill of costs was based upon figures taken from the table in 
Dr. Hogg’s “ Horticultural Directory and Year Book,” which is 
reliable and comprehensive, embracing all kinds of soils—heavy, 
medium, and light. For our purpose it gave—Distance apart 
of drains, 15 feet; depth of drains, 30 inches ; number of rods 
of drains per acre, 176. Cost of cutting and filling per rod, 5d.; 
per acre, £3 13s. 4d. Humber of drain pipes of 12 inches long 
required per acre, 2905. Cost of drain tiles per acre at 30s. 
per 1000, £4 7s. 2d.; total cost per acre, £8 Os. 6d. To this 
there may be an addition for cartage of pipes (in our case it 
was rather heavy), also for spreading surplus soil, for seed, and 
manure. Such clay is the most costly of any soil to drain, but 
if done at all drainage must be thorough to answer, and without 
perfect under-drainage such pasture could not be reclaimed 
The price given for the work is close, but perfectly fair, though 
it is certainly below certain local rates, fi-amed carelessly or 
without full knowledge of the work. We had some grumbling, 
but the grumblers were able to earn 38. a day, and they soon 
settled down to it when they found no notice taken of their 
complaints. 
With such close draining there was enough sui’plus soil after 
the drains were filled in to spread over the whole of the surface. 
When this was done the sods were placed on the soil in the 
drain, and pressed down with a heavy roller. Then 20 lbs. per 
acre of permanent pasture grasses and Clover seeds was sown 
broadcast, and the soil crushed with a roller and well mixed 
with the seed with a bush harrow. Then came a dressing 
of basic slag and nitrogenous manure, and the work was 
complete. 
All this, be it understood, was done by the landlord, who was 
desirous of seeing for himself how such pasture could be 
improved. The result has shown that the outlay was entirely 
worth while. The herbage is now thick, strong, and excellent. 
The character of the pasture is quite changed. Clover is 
abundant. Carnation Grass has disappeared before Perennial 
Rye Grasses, and some of the best other strong growing Grasses 
ofl,ithe new seeds. With such thorough drainage there will 
follow too a gradual change in the soil. The accelerated 
filtration of rain water through it is bound to be followed by air 
circulating more and more freely in it. It has ceased to be 
cold and inert, and will graduallyjbecome more porous and 
open. Yery much, however, depends upon its subsequent 
culture. If that is well done fthe pasture will prove highly 
profitable; if not, it will only be “ passing fair,” and nothing 
more. 
WOEK ON THE HOME FARM. 
The abundance of herbage on pastures very generally keeps up the 
price of store beasts ; an abundance of hay also tells in this matter. 
With an ample provision of fodder and roots for winter most graziers' 
can well afford to feed stock well, and we hope this abundance may be 
an inducement to break up the abominable custom of keeping cows and' 
store beasts out “ to clear up the fog grass,” which means that they are 
compelled by the pangs of hunger to consume all the half-dead innu¬ 
tritions “ fog,” rank grass tufts and all herbage left on pastures aftev 
summer growth is ended being included in that term. Many a valuable 
beast has succumbed to the strain which such treatment makes upon the 
health of them. Exposed to cold and wet, half starved, all of them 
suffer, but especially in-calf cows. How can well nourished sturdy 
calves be expected from the cows ? How can condition of any sort be 
maintained under such reckless mismanagement 1 Much better is it to- 
give them proper food and shelter, to mow strong tufts and any othen 
rough growth, either for making silage or littering the yards. 
Resolve now to enforce systematic care of all beasts in yards. Have the 
hovels kept clean—the walls by lime-washing, the floors by regular daily 
cleansing of all foul litter. Never suffer any accumulation of sodden 
litter for cows to lie down upon ; have cowhouse, hovel, byre—all build¬ 
ings used for them, well ventilated, yet free from cold cutting draughts— 
thorough roof ventilation answers best. For cows let the bulk of food 
consist of the best meadow hay, using as much as they can clear up, in 
addition to which there may be some crushed Oats or mixed corn, and 
sliced roots or Cabbage at milking time. Undersized or delicate cows^ 
must be kept apart from others, or they may not get enough to eat; they 
should also be shut in at night to be certain of shelter. More than once 
have we told here how we had given orders that a certain delicate Jersey 
in a mixed herd should always be shut in a loose box at night, and how^ 
when we turned out in the middle of a rough snowy night to have a 
look at the lambing flock, we walked on to the home farm buildings and 
found that cow standing for shelter under the eaves of a barn on one 
side of a cowyard with the snow driven upon it by the high wind. The 
stronger cows had driven it out of the deep comfortable open hovel, and 
owing to the carelessness of the bailiff that night’s exposure of the 
Jersey brought on a severe cold, to which it succumbed. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Rough Pasture (TF. W. TF.).—If you send your name and address 
we will forward a letter bearing on the subject of your note. 
Pigs and Calves (^T. J. IF.).—“ Animals of the Farm in Health 
and Disease,” Is., published by Murray, 50 a, Albemarle St., London, W.,. 
gives much information such as you appear to require. 
Sheep-folding (IF. S .').—Your idea of folding sheep on Eunnej 
Bean haulm is novel, and like all novelties requires trying with caution. 
Any harm likely to happen to the sheep would be from hoove, or the 
distention of the stomach with gas, generated by the stomach being 
packed with a mass of such food—it also might induce diarrhoea. 
Having this risk clearly before you it would certainly be a rash pro¬ 
ceeding to shut in the flock entirely upon the Beans. You might first 
of all turn the sheep in for an hour or two, watching them, and if they 
eat the leaves and green shoots greedily, taking care they do not go on 
to repletion by withdrawing them to ordinary pasture. Dry food would 
be a wholesome corrective, and should be given freely. You must* 
understand clearly that there is some risk in such experiments, and that 
yours will not be taken on our advice. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 
Oamdex Square, Loxdox. 
Lat.51° 32'40" N.; Loag. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
In the Day. 
B 
‘ 0 ? 
pc; 
1894. 
October. 
1 Barometer 
1 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. 
dee;. 
deg. 
Inch.s 
Sunday ., 
7 
30-000 
531 
52-5 
N.B. 
53 8 
57-2 
52-0 
60-9 
51-2 
— 
Monday .. 
8 
30110 
49-2 
49-2 
N.E. 
52-9 
59-3 
43-0 
86 4 
40-2 
— 
Tuesday .. 
9 
30-191 
48-3 
48 3 
N. 
52-9 
54-9 
47 0 
56-6 
45-0 
0-079- 
W ednesday 
10 
30-188 
51-8 
53 9 
S. 
52-3 
59-7 
480 
64-2 
49-7 
0-316. 
Thursday .. 
It 
30-226 
58 9 
58 3 
N. 
53 3 
62-1 
54 1 
68 9 
53-9 
— 
Friday 
12 
30 341 
53-0 
52-2 
N.E. 
54-1 
59-3 
51-9 
72-1 
48 9 
— 
Saturday .. 
13 
30-218 
47-4 
47-4 
N. 
53 7 
G2-1 
45-9 
83 4 
42-1 
0024 
3018G 
52-1 
51-7 
53-4 
59 2 
48-8 
70-4 
47 3 
0-410. 
REMARKS. 
Tth.—A little sunshine in morning, dull afternoon, misty evening. 
8th.—White fog till 10 A.M., and more or less misty nearly all day ; sunny from 10 A.IT.. 
to 3 P.M., cloudy later. 
9th.—Overca-t and misty all day ; dark from noon to 1 P.il. 
loth.—Rain from 6.30 A.M. to 9 A.M. ; dull damp morning, almost continuous rain frona. 
1 P.M. to 10 P.M. 
11th.—Dull and humid all day. 
12th.—Dull early, sunny from 11.30 to sunset, wet fog in evening. 
13th.—Wet mist early, with sun shining through, and faint sun in morning; fine after¬ 
noon, cloudy evening, and showers between 10 and 11 P.M. 
A dull cloudy week; temperature, pressure, and rain very similar to the two previoua- 
ones.—G. J. Symons. 
