418 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
November 1,189f. 
been suffered to attain such gigantic proportions. The ant hills 
are an outcome of the time when corn-growing was so profitable 
that pasture was on many a farm left practically uncared for, 
hence the expression of “ land out of cultivation,” which has so 
generally been applied to much of the vast area laid down to 
permanent pasture during the last decade. They are a 
hindrance to all good practice, and must be swept away. In 
doing this let the aim be something more than a level surface, 
and therefore consider how best to render the pasture rich in an 
abundance of nutritious herbage alike suitable for grazing or 
hay. Turn the ant hills to account for this purpose by paring 
them off level with the surface with sharp spades, carting them 
to one or more heaps in the meadow, where they are chopped up 
and mixed with a heavy dressing of lime fx’esh from the kiln. 
Turn over the heaps two or three times so as to thoroughly mix 
lime and soil, and the compost will then be ready for use. 
In the clearance of the ant hills it is customary to go 
sufficiently below the surface to leave a slight hollow in order 
to destroy the whole of the ants. If the ants have worked 
down much below the common level and are established there 
in considerable numbers, the plan may be desirable, but not 
otherwise. We know some pasture so badly infested, and where 
the ant hills are so large that their clearance will leave a third 
or more of the surface bare. This cannot be helped, as to pare 
the turf off the ant hills and lay it down would involve much 
labour, and a risk of leaving enough ants behind to establish 
another colony. Clear off the ant hills in the autumn, chop, and 
mix them with lime, then in February, or early in March, cart 
the compost upon the pasture, spread it evenly, sow broadcast 
from 20 to 30 lbs. of permanent pasture grass and Clover seeds, 
follow at once with a dressing of chemical manure, then well 
work soil, seed, and manure together with chain or bush harrows, 
finishing with a turn or two of the light or heavy rollers. Give 
an eye to the birds, they sometimes swoop down on newly sown 
grass seeds by thousands, and it is entirely worth while to have 
a boy out daily to keep them off till the new growth is visible. 
If the drainage is sound the result should be satisfactory; if it 
is not sound there never can be really good pasture, so that 
sooner or later it would have to be seen to, and it would be 
altogether best to test the land for water now, so as to avoid 
all risk of having to cut up the improved pasture subsequently 
for drainage. 
In connection with such work we may po’nt out that had 
the land been prepared for cultivation in the right way at the 
first, or in what has been aptly termed “ the making of the 
land,” its subsequent cropping and management would have 
been reduced to a delightfully simple and certain process. 
But it was not so. Those vital fundamentals, drainage and 
mechanical division of the soil, were practically ignored. 
Subsequently the importance of under drainage obtained 
recognition, but mechanical division never has had the 
attention which its importance merits. We call especial 
attention to it now, in view of land being laid down to grass 
with a crop of spring corn next year. If the land is at all 
heavy, and is deficient in small stones, a heavy dressing of fine 
coal ashes, slag, gravel, or burnt clay, well worked in with a 
cultivator, will so divide its particles as to render it sufficiently 
porous for the passage of water through it by filtration, and 
the free circulation of air in it- It is obvious that this is 
especially important for land going down to permanent 
pasture, if we would have full benefit from the habit of early 
or late growth in the different sorts of grass used, as well as 
full crops. Equally important is it in regard to the effect of 
manure. With the land porous, open, and warm, manure acts 
with promptitude and certainty; with the land inert, sodden, 
and cold manure is practically wasted upon it. These are 
truisms applicable to every form of soil tillage, and we are 
hopeful that the full importance of their influence upon pasture 
cultivation is gradually obtaining recognition, and that they 
will come to be so well applied that inferior pasture will 
eventually be the exception and good pasture the rule, as long 
and wide experience has assured us it may be. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM, 
On a journey from London to Yorkshire, since writing our last 
note, we were glad to see much farm work going on briskly. Mangolds 
were being cleared off the land very generally; much autumn tillage 
appeared to have been well done; the sowing of winter corn was also^ 
being done lightly and well, the land being tender, breaking well under 
the drill and harrows, and covering the seed. Even sowing and 
a good seed bed are always desirable, as tending to insure a full plant, 
appearing above the surface in regular growth of uniform height. We 
are now told that Wheat can be sent to this country from the Argentina 
Republic and sold for 128. per quarter at a profit. As the Wheat yield in 
that prolific country is fast increasing, the tendency of prices may stilL 
be downwards, and Wheat growing with us seems likely to cease. Certain 
under present and prospective prices we fail to see how anyone can 
venture to sow Wheat under ordinary conditions. It is only the home 
farmer and the man who has a profitable market for his straw that can 
make it answer. 
Heavy rain and a fast falling temperature has led to cows and young 
stock being kept in by night, as they will shortly be also by day. Rough 
store beasts will clear up what pasture growth there is, and cows will 
now soon be settled in the yards for the winter. Let the winter dietary 
have careful consideration, and any change made that is wholesome,- 
nutritious, and unlikely to impart taint to the milk. Green Maize has 
held out well, and second crop Clover has also been in use throughout 
October. The supply of Cabbage and Kale is more abundant than 
usual, as the weather has been so exceptionally favourable for such 
crops all summer. A common fault is not planting them early enough,, 
the result being a small heart and light weight. A well-grown Drum¬ 
head should weigh anything from 40 lbs, to 60 lbs., and have a crisps 
solid heart. A few pounds of such green food is an important addition 
to the dietary of dairy cows as they are withdrawn from pasture, 
tending to prevent an immediate run upon roots. Hold over the Kale, 
using the Cabbage first, with other home-grown food, and keep well in. 
mind now the wants of the herd for the next three or four months. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Renovating- Old Pasture (<§. C.'). —Yes, all the coarse Grasses, 
may be used, with some Perennial Rye Grass and White Dutch Clover. 
It is too late to do this now. Wait till next March, also see the fifth, 
article on this subject next week. 
Barley at the Brewers’ Exhibition. —In the malting Barley 
competition held in London recently there were no less than 204 entries, 
for the champion prize, open to the world, and Mr, T. Hayward, of 
Valley Farm, Sudborne, was declared the winner with a fine sample, 
of Webbs’ Golden Grain Barley. The same variety secured first and. 
second prize medals in Class 1, open to the United Kingdom, against 
124 competitors. Messrs. Webbs’ Barleys also took first prize in Class 3, 
first and third prizes in Class 4, first, second, and third prizes in Class 5, 
silver eup in Class 6, eleven prize diplomas in Class 7, and four silver 
eups in Class 8. Messrs. Webb & Sons inform us that this is the sixth 
year the champion prize has gone to the credit of their Barley. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamden Square, London. 
Lat.51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, III feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
In the Day. 
d 
‘a 
1894. 
October. 
i Barometer 
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 .. 
21 
29 464 
44 0 
42-2 
S.W. 
47-8 
50-0 
42 1 
75-9 
39-0 
— 
Monday .. 
22 
29-809 
39-7 
37-9 
N.E. 
46-7 
49-2 
32 9 
61 1 
30-1 
Tuesday .. 
23 
30-011 
46-6 
44-0 
E. 
45 9 
57-1 
36 0 
61-0 
30-9 
0-010- 
Wednesday 
24 
29-398 
56 9 
54-3 
S. 
47 0 
59-0 
46-4 
73-2 
43 4 
0-738 
Thursday,. 
25 
29-184 
54 6 
50 3 
S.W. 
48-2 
59 1 
50-4 
91 2 
44-2 
— 
Friday .. 
26 
2( 536 
5-2-7 
49-9 
w. 
48 9 
61-7 
49 9 
91-9 
45-0 
0-369 
Saturday .. 
27 
29-257 
54 1 
51-9 
S.W. 
49 8 
58 0 
50-9 
85 2 
45-2 
0-446- 
29 523 
49-8 
47 2 
47-8 
56-3 
44-1 
77 1 
397 
1-563. 
REMARKS. 
21st.—Heavy rain from 2 A JI. to 3.30 and dull and damp till about 0 A.M. ; frequent 
sunshine during day, and fine night. 
22nd.—Fair day, with gleams of sun in afternoon. 
23rd.—Fine and frequently sunny, 
24th.—Dull and damp early; continuous rain from 9.30 A.M. to 1 P.M., then frequent 
gleams of sun with high wind, but rain aga u from 2.30 to 3 I’.M. 
25th. —Windy and generally sunny. Spots of rain at 9 A.M. 
26th.—Generally sunny till 3 I’.M.; showers from 4 I’.M., and storm rain from 
7 to 7.30 P.M. 
27th.—Dull early; frequent rain from 8.30 A.M. to 2 P.M., and very heavy betweea 
1 and 2 P.M. ; generally fair after. 
A wet week, and warmer than the previous one.—G. J. Si’MONS. 
