298 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  5,  l&OO. 
supply  of  labour  none  would  have  made  less  than  10s.  per,  bag,  for 
they  were  all  ready  at  once.  It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that  it  is  unwise 
to  have  too  many  eggs  in  one  basket — i.e.,  too  many  Peas  ready  at 
once.  Three  or  four  varieties  coming  in  succession  are  better  than 
one  sown  at  different  periods,  for  there  will  be  more  difference  in  the 
various  times  of  maturity,  and  so  the  pulling  season  will  be  prolonged, 
labour  will  be  made  the  most  of,  and  although  price  may  at  first  sight 
seem  likely  to  suffer,  the  loss  will  be  more  imaginary  than  real,  for 
quality  should  increase  with  the  later  season,  midseason  and  late 
Peas  being  as  a  rule  the  best.  The  labour  of  preparation  is  more 
easily  managed  than  that  of  harvesting,  for  in  Pea  growing  districts^ 
and  taking  large  acreages,  nearly  all  the  work  is  done  with  the  horse. 
The  crop  is  generally  grown  alter  Barley,  and  in  place  of  seeds.  This  is 
often  done  on  light  and  dry  land  as  a  necessity  owing  to  the  Clover 
plant  being  a  failure  and  not  worth  keeping  further  to  graze  or  mow. 
The  land  having  been  well  worked  and  cleaned  in  the  autumn,  is 
manured  and  the  manure  ploughed  in  when  convenient ;  on  light  soils 
this  work  may  be  put  off,  but  on  heavy  or  strong  loam  earlier 
ploughing  must  be  resorted  to  so  as  to  insure  a  greater  probability 
of  a  good  frost  mould.  The  ploughing  having  been  done  with  ordinary 
ploughs,  a  9-inch  seam  would  be  the  rule,  and  no  better  plan  can  be 
followed  afterwards  than  to  use  the  same  plough  and  ridge  the  land 
up,  taking  the  plough  down  alternate  seams,  so  making  the  ridges 
18  inches  in  width.  The  seed  should  be  sown  by  hand  in  the  furrows* 
and  the  operation  may  be  best  described  as  a  rough  sort  of  dibbling, 
or  much  as  a  gardener  sows  his  garden  Peas.  Any  top-dressing  should 
be  put  on  now,  if  at  all.  On  light  soil  1  cwt.  nitrate  of  soda,  and  on 
any  soil  3  cwt.  superphosphate  will  be  of  material  benefit. 
The  ridges  should  now  be  split,  covering  in  both  seed  and  manures. 
A  casual  observer  might  think  that  Peas  sown  thus  would  come  up 
too  broadcast,  but  such  is  not  the  case,  as  they  are  almost  all  in  rows, 
and  very  few  are  disturbed  by  the  skerrying  which  so  soon  and  so 
necessarily  follows ;  for  to  grow  Peas  well  means  to  grow  weeds  well. 
The  ridging  defines  the  position  of  the  rows  of  Peas  so  well  that  a 
norse  hoe  set  narrow  may  be  run  between  the  rows  before  the  Peas 
actually  appear,  and  the  sprouting  weeds  killed  before  they  are 
troublesome.  The  greater  exposure  of  soil  to  the  influence  of  air  and 
sun  is  an  advantage,  as  well  as  the  more  complete  burying  of  the  seed 
out  of  the  reach  of  predatory  birds.  Peas  at  5s.  to  10s.  per  peck  are 
too  costly  to  feed  birds  with. 
The  varieties  recommended  by  practical  Pea  growers  are  Eclipse 
and  William  I.  as  earlies,  but  the  latter  is  very  dwarf,  and  is  only 
suitable  to  good  land  in  the  best  of  condition.  Telegraph  is  a  very 
good  midseason  Pea,  and  stands  marketing  well.  Duke  of  Albany  is 
a  little  late  ,  but  the  quality  is  splendid;  nothing  can  beat  this  Pea 
on  the  market.  Duke  of  York  is  a  newer  kind,  and  is  likely  to  make 
a  permanent  name  for  itself.  All  the  above  are  good  standard 
varieties,  and  suitable  for  growing  in  the  field  without  rods.  Tall- 
growing  Peas,  like  Ne  Plus  Ultra,  are  of  no  use  for  such  cultivation. 
The  space  between  the  rows  must  be  kept  stirred  with  the  hoe  until 
it  cannot  be  done  without  damage  to  the  young  growth. 
As  it  would  be  impossible  to  gather  field  Peas  in  the  same  way 
that  garden  Peas  are  pulled  from  the  rodded  rows — i.e.,  by  selecting 
the  pods  as  they  become  fit,  and  leaving  the  rest  to  mature  further; 
field  Peas  are  pulled  up  by  the  roots,  all  the  marketable  pods  stripped 
from  them,  and  the  straw  ]iut  in  heaps  to  dry  before  being  carted  into 
a  stack. 
Work  oil  the  }(ome  Farm. 
More  stormy  weather  with  heavy  snow  showers  and  more  delay  in 
farm  work  !  Instead  of  making  up  the  arrears  they  are  perforce  still 
accumulating.  The  worst  aspect  of  the  situation  arises  from  the  fact 
that  the  young  generation  of  farm  labourers  are  so  much  less  inclined 
to  make  a  push  when  work  is  backward  than  their  fathers  were.  Many 
farmers  give  a  rise  of  wages  to  their  daily  labourers  on  March  1st, 
when  it  becomes  light  enough  to  work  from  6  to  6  ;  but  they  are  able 
to  make  the  stipulation  that  such  shall  be  the  hours.  It  is  too 
often  the  custom  for  the  men  to  leave  home  at  6  a.m.  ,  the  time 
occupied  by  the  journey  to  the  farm  being  included  in  the  working 
hours.  Unless  the  men  all  live  close  together  this  results  in  their 
dropping  in  at  intervals,  and  means  that  little  or  no  work  will  be  done 
until  all  arrive.  Unless  the  men  can  be  got  on  the  ground  at  6  it  is 
much  better  to  allow  a  specified  time — say  fifteen  minutes — for  the 
journey,  and  have  all  in  the  yard  together.  The  same  applies  with 
even  greater  force  to  the  time  of  leaving.  With  north  winds,  frost  and 
snow  there  is  hardly  any  spring  growth,  even  where  the  land  is  not 
stocked  ;  but  with  no  Turnips  farmers  have  been  obliged  to  stock  their 
seeds  with  ewes  and  lambs,  and  being  short  of  plant  to  begin  with  the 
fields  are  now  quite  bare.  Mangold  has  to  be  given,  and  what  with  the 
ewes  and  the  cows  the  Mangold  heap  is  fast  shrinking  to  an  end.  We 
are  hoping  for  warm  weather  soon,  otherwise  we  shall  be  indeed  in 
evil  case. 
It  is  advisable  to  dock  the  lambs’  tails  now,  as  there  is  danger 
if  they  get  too  strong.  As  soon  as  they  are  strong  enough  to  stop  out 
at  night  they  may  be  docked,  and  there  is  less  danger  in  cool  weather. 
We  see  a  good  many  cattle  out  at  grass  now,  but  cannot  see  much 
economy  in  turning  out  yet,  for  straw  is  cheap,  and  much  more 
plentiful  than  the  grass,  which  has  greater  value  just  now  for  sheep. 
Some  farmers  like  to  get  their  cattle  out  early  and  hardened  off,  as 
there  is  an  idea  that  they  begin  to  thrive  sooner  and  better  if  they  have 
to  watch  the  grass  growing  ;  but  it  will  be  a  rough  experience  for  them 
to  be  out  now  unless  they  have  very  rough  coats.  Of  course  they  may 
be,  and  in  most  cases  are,  brought  up  at  night ;  but  they  will  be  difficult 
to  tempt  with  anything  worse  than  hay  or  cake.  Cut  straw  will  need 
very  highly  flavouring  to  tempt  them  after  they  have  had  a  few  mouth¬ 
fuls  of  grass. 
A  New  Zealand  Buttee  Law. — In  New  Zealand  they  have  a  law 
which  says,  “  In  every  case  where  dairy  produce  is  condemned  by  an 
inspector  he  shall,  at  the  cost  and  expense  of  the  owner,  cause  the 
same  to  be  removed  to  boiling  down  works,  soap  works,  or  other 
place  where  such  produce  shall  be  so  treated  as  to  be  absolutely 
unfit  for  human  consumption.”  If  such  a  law  was  enacted  in  this 
country  it  would  destroy  the  business  of  the  “renovated  butter” 
factories,  and  do  more  to  help  those  who  make  good  butter  than  all 
the  oleo  laws  that  have  ever  been  passed.  They  evidently  do  not 
believe  there  that  poor  butter  can  be  made  good  by  washing  it  in  acids, 
colouring  it,  and  adding  poisonous  preservatives  to  it. — (“American 
Agriculturist.”) 
Wire  Fences. — The  extraordinary  demand  for  iron  and  steel  pro¬ 
ducts,  and  consequent  high  prices,  is  making  wire  fences  cost  much 
more  than  a  few  years  ago,  but  we  are  not  sure  but  they  are  even  now 
the  cheapest  fences  one  can  build,  considering  durability  as  well  as  first 
cost.  Many  use  second-hand  gas  pipe  for  posts,  and  we  think,  says  a 
transatlantic  contemporary,  there  is  nothing  better  if  they  can  be 
bought  direct  from  companies  who  take  them  up  because  of  pinhole 
leaks  that  make  them  unfit  for  conveying  gas,  but  in  no  wav  injure 
them  for  use  as  posts.  They  can  be  found  in  almost  all  sizes,  from  the 
inch  pipe,  large  enough  for  the  wire  netting  for  poultry  yards,  up  to 
a  size  that  will  carry  a  heavy  wire  for  cattle  fence,  and  if  painted 
occasionally  are  neat  and  durable.  They  would  help  to  remove  a  danger 
sometimes  feared  from  wire  fences,  the  conduction  of  lightning.  The 
first  iron  post  would  be  very  likely  to  ground  the  current. 
Saving  Rough  Fodder. — A  few  years  ago  not  many  farmers  in  the 
corn-growing  States  thought  of  saving  their  corn  stover,  though 
perhaps  they  turned  cattle  in  among  it  to  eat  a  little  and  tramp  it  down. 
Where  small  grain  was  grown  the  straw  was  thought  to  have  very  little 
food  value,  though  some  kept  their  stock  half  starved  on  it.  Eastern 
farmers,  who  were  thought  to  be  very  saving,  seldom  fed  out  bean 
straw  or  pea  straw.  Now  all  these  are  saved,  and  while  they  need 
more  grain  with  them  than  does  Clover  or  other  good  hay,  it  is  thought 
economy  to  feed  any  or  all  of  these,  and  by  adding  grain  keep  the 
animals  in  better  condition  at  less  cost  than  when  hay  is  fed,  and  at  the 
same  time  add  to  the  value  of  the  manure  made  on  the  farm.  Many 
varieties  of  weeds  also  make  good  rough  forage  if  mown  down  and 
cured  before  they  have  ripened  their  seeds,  and  to  do  so  helps  to  keep 
the  land  clean,  and  preserve  the  fertility  in  it  for  more  useful  crops. — 
(“American  Agriculturist.”) 
Maize  as  Hog  Food.  —  It  is  not  so  common  as  it  used  to  be, 
but  the  practice  of  feeding  hogs  on  whole  maize  till  they  can  hardly 
stand  is  still  prevalent  to  a  large  extent.  It  is  very  wasteful  of  maize, 
and  besides  it  makes  pork  that  is  not  of  the  best  quality,  and  will  not 
sell  in  the  markets  for  the  highest  prices.  Nobody  wants  to  eat  lard, 
which  is  what  such  fat  pork  really  is.  This  overfat  pork  does  not 
waste  so  much  in  cooking  as  that  from  younger  animals  that  have  been 
fattened  while  the  pig  was  given  food  that  kept  him  growing.  But 
this  hardness  <  f  pork  fat  after  maize  feeding  only  shows  that  the 
animal  has  had  fever  which  has  dried  the  moisture  out  of  the  fat  as 
fever  does  to  all  parts  of  the  body.  This  overfat  pork  is  unhealthy 
for  delicate  stomachs,  and  is  especially  bad  for  people  who  live  sedentary 
lives.  Only  those  working  hard  in  the  open  air  can,  says  a  traps- 
Atlantic  contemporary,  safely  use  it.  Even  the  lard  from  overfat  hogs 
is  not  so  good.  Since  the  supersedure  of  lard  by  cottonseed  oil,  many 
people  can  eat  pies  and  pastry  made  with  fat  who  could  not  do  so  when 
the  lard  of  overfat  hogs  was  used.  In  olden  times  the  fat  in  a  hog 
made  him  sell  better,  as  it  could  be  tried  out  and  sold  as  lard,  which 
always  brought  a  higher  price.  Now  the  lean  hogs,  with  only  fat 
enough  to  cook  it  with,  bring  a  higher  price  than  hogs  whose  bodies, 
1  except  the  bones,  could  nearly  all  be  rendered  into  lard. 
