530 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 6, 1894. 
PLANTS 
B. d. 8. d. 
Arbor Vitas (golden") dozen 6 0 to 12 0 
Aspidistra, per dozen .. 18 0 36 0 
Aspidistra, specimen plant 6 0 10 6 
Chrysanthemums, per doz. 4 0 8 0 
„ large, per doz. 9 0 18 0 
Cyclamen, per dozen ..90 120 
Dracmna, various, dozen .. 12 0 30 0 
Dracmna viridis. dozen ..90 18 0 
Erica, various, per dozen ..90 18 0 
Euonymus, var., dozen ..6 0 18 0 
Evergreens, in var., per 
dozen. 6 0 24 0 
IN POTS, 
8. d. 8. d. 
Perns, in variety, dozen .. 4 0toI8 0 
(small') per hundred 4 0 6 0 
Ficus elastica, each .... 1 0 70 
Foliage plants, var., each 2 0 10 0 
Lycopodiums, per dozen .. 3 0 4 0 
Marguerite Daisy, dozen .. 6 0 12 0 
Myrtles, dozen. 6 0 9 0 
Palms, in var., each .. .. 1 0 15 0 
„ (specimens) .. ..210 6.3 0 
Poinsettia, per dozen ..10 0 15 0 
Primulas, per dozen .... 4 0 6 0 
Solanums, per dozen .. ..100 120 
WINTERING DAIRY COWS.—3. 
As a point of departure in our endeavour to determine what 
is wholesome food for dairy cows in the winter take the cows 
at their best—say at midsummer, when they yield milk of the 
highest quality. The herbage of pastures is then so rich, so 
nutritious, that we have only to supplement or add to it some 
bran twice daily at milking time to obtain a full flow of rich 
milk of exquisite flavour. More than that, the cows are so well 
nourished that they are sleek, or in the best condition, and their 
coats absolutely glisten with health. The milk then yields up 
91 per cent, of its fat—or, in other words, it is then precisely 
that we are able to obtain most butter from a given quantity of 
milk. What are the conditions which produce results so satis¬ 
factory, and withal so profitable ? Warmth, and food that is at 
once admirably nutritious and so wholesome that the milk may 
indeed be termed pure, or free from taint of any sort. Later in 
the year the grass may be just as wholesome, but it is certainly 
not nearly so nutritious, nor is it eaten under such favourable 
atmospheric conditions, and those dairy farmers who claim 
merit in management on the score ttat their butter is from 
cows grass fed all winter cannot look closely into cause and 
effect, or they would not thus proclaim their ignorance of it- 
At most the herbage of pastures is only at its best from the 
beginning of April till the end of September ; in the other six 
months it is inferior in degree, and it must not be forgotten 
how frequently we are unable to turn out f.r a full bite till 
May Day. 
Nutritious as the best meadow hay undoubtedly is when it 
comes into ukc in the autumn, with a steady continuance of the 
bran ration at milking time, it has been found, under close 
observation, that there is a falling off in the butter yield of 
10 per cent. It is then precisely that an addition of Cabbage 
and Carrots tells. The quantity used depends entirely upon 
the size of the cows For big-framed Shorthorns a Drumhead 
Cabbage of moderate size morning and night, with a few pounds 
of sliced Carrots mixed with a gallon of bran and crushed 
Oats, may answer very well. Certainly we should not allow 
each cow to consume half a hundredweight of Cabbage daily, 
but with fine sweet firm hearts to the Cabbage 30 or 40 lbs. 
might not affect the milk so as to impart taint. We avoid 
exact quantities of intent, because we hold that with a change 
in the dietary there should be caution, and the first churning of 
butter should then be watched closely, the butter carefully 
tested, and the slightest indication of taint or unpleasant flavour 
should induce some reduction in the qiiantity of the Cabbage, 
which has been proved to impart bad flavour to the butter when 
used too freely. 
Entirely do we believe in a mixed dietary, but we cannot 
understand how butter without taint can be made from the milk 
of cows having upwards of 60 lbs, of Swedes daily in mixture 
with malt. Maize, Oat straw and hay, as we have seen recently 
recommended for big dairy cows. ^Vhatever may be the size or 
breed of cow, caution and test is the only way to be safe with 
the winter feeding. Now that Wheat has come into use for 
stock it may be well to mention that two parts of crusted Wheat 
to one of Oats has been found to keep up condition and to 
promote a full milk yield. Pay no heed to niceties of calculation 
or to fractional differences in results. What is w'anted gene¬ 
rally is such additions to the best meadow hay for our dairy 
cows in winter that they may be kept in healthy condition and 
may yield milk free from taint. We do not forget the fact that 
the milk of cows approaching the “ dry’’time is often inferior. 
Home farmers having to provide for the wants of a large 
household, take care to arrange the calving of the cows so as to 
have a cow or two calving at intervals of a few weeks all the 
winter. The milk from such fresh cows is used for the 
daily churnings, and then by the exercise of due care in 
other details of management good butter is forthcoming all 
winter. 
It is therefore obvious that with shelter there must be 
careful feeding and intelligent management generally. In the 
final result cleanliness tells perhaps’, more than anything else ; 
with it a crown and finish is given to the work, without it our 
efforts are in vain, and there will be failure where success ought 
never to be in doubt, but ought to be a certainty. 
■WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Look to kneelers in the flock. Hardly a week passes without some 
of such neglected animals coming under our notice. We have also seen 
an article advertised for the treatment of foot-rot in sheep, which the 
vendor asserts will cure any case by a single dressing. That is, of course, 
as false as it is misleading, because there are cases of foot-rot where the 
foot is hot and swollen without any wound or discharge, and for 
which linseed meal poultices are the only remedy. What we specially 
deplore in connection with this wide-spread contagious disease is the dis¬ 
graceful negligence of flrst cases, which so frequently leads to serious 
harm to an entire flock. The only thing possible is persistent effort in 
calling general attention to the certainty of keeping it well under if it is 
taken in time. Isolation, daily treatment by paring, bathing with warm 
water, dressing with Gell’s ointment, or the application of linseed 
poultices, are the simple but efficient means which answer so well in its 
treatment. Remember, too, that pregnant ewes having foot-rot are 
bound to fall off in condition if they have it badly, and, as lambing time 
draws nigh, they cannot be handled with ease or at all, which is another 
important reason for timely and prompt attention. 
We may as well say now that, in this matter, if the flock is kept 
so well in hand that the feet of the sheep are frequently examined, there 
never will be anything like a serious spread of foot-rot in it. A sheep 
that falls lame at all frequently would soon be marked for drafting out 
of the flock altogether. This can only be done in the right way when a 
shepherd knows his flock individually, as he will do if he is worthy of 
the trust placed in him—is fond of his charge, has a kindly heart, and is 
humane in his treatment of the sheep. There will then be no cases of 
kneelers found among the flock, simply because prevention will be the 
rule, cure the exception. As an extra incentive now to keep under this 
disease, it should be remembered that lambs take it so readily that they 
may often be seen limping about while quite young. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamdbn Squakb. London. 
Lat.51° 32'40" N.; Loag. 0° 8/ 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
In the Day. 
Rain. 
1894. 
November and 
December. 
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 
Q-rass. 
Inchs. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deet. 
deg. 
Inchs. 
Sunday .. 
25 
30-366 
44-4 
42-9 
N.B. 
42-6 
46-2 
38 7 
59-0 
34-8 
— 
Monday .. 
26 
30 359 
39-2 
37-1 
E. 
42 4 
41-8 
36-7 
427 
31-2 
— 
Tuesday .. 
27 
30-368 
41*2 
39-3 
N.E. 
42-2 
43-7 
38-2 
46-1 
37-9 
— 
Wednesday 
28 
30 396 
40-0 
37 4 
N.E. 
4-2-4 
43-1 
89 1 
47-4 
38-2 
— 
Thursday,. 
29 
30-307 
40-1 
39-4 
W. 
42-1 
48-9 
31-9 
52-1 
26-1 
— 
Friday 
30 
30 512 
37-6 
35-9 
N. 
42-2 
46-0 
34-9 
63-9 
27-5 
— 
Saturday .. 
1 
30-530 
36-2 
35-8 
N.E. 
41-9 
44-6 
36-0 
541 
27-3 
— 
30 405 
39-8 
38-3 
42-3 
44-9 
36-4 
52-2 
31-9 
— 
REMARKS. 
25th.—Fine, with sun visible almost all day. 
26th.—Cloudy and cold throughout. 
27th.—Overcast all day. 
28th.—Overcast day ; fine clear n'ght. 
29th.—Slight Scotch mist early ; cloudy day, a little misty in afternoon; clear night. 
30th.—Bright sunshine all day ; fine night. 
1st.—Fine, but haze or slight smoke cloud till about 11 a.m. ; smoke fog after 3 P.H. 
A rainless week, with much sunshine and exceptional freedom from fog. Pressure 
very high, and temperature slightly below the average.—G. J. SVMONS. 
