320 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Apiil  12,  1900. 
other,  both  ewes  and  lambs  and  young  horses  ate  of  the  Buttercup  in 
a  field  of  Clover.  This  was  the  Upright  Buttercup  (Ranunculus 
acris),  and  the  effect  on  the  young  animals  was  excessive  scour.  The 
juice  of  this  plant  is  extremely  acrid,  and  would  produce  the  mischief 
laid  to  its  charge.  The  Small- flowered  Buttercup  (R.  parviflorus) 
also  posse.sses  in  a  green  state  a  very  acrid  juice,  but  when  the  plant 
is  dried  into  hay  this  property  disappears.  The  Pilew’ort  (R.  ficaria). 
which  is  also  much  found  in  damp  meadows  early  in  the  season,  is 
also  acrid,  but  in  a  less  degree  than  the  others;  it  occupies  the  place 
of  better  feeding  grasses  or  herbs. 
There  is  another  plant  very  common  in  seme  neighbourhoods,  and 
known  by  the  names  of  “  Lords  and  Ladies  ”  or  Cuckoo  Pint  (Arum 
maculatum);  it  has  been  known  to  act  fatally  on  children,  and  would 
be  most  harmful  to  stock  should  they  get  any  of  it,  as  it  has  an  acrid 
and  pungent  juice.  We  should  hardly  imagine  that  stock  would  ea^ 
it  except  in  cases  where  pastures  were  very  bare,  or  the  appetite  very 
depraved. 
There  were  cases  reported  of  the  death  of  calves,  which  said  calves 
had  had  access  to  both  Laurel  and  Rhododendron  trees,  flow  this 
came  about  we  are  not  told.  It  is  a  warning  to  be  most  careful  to 
keep  stock  from  ornamental  shrubs  of  this  nature,  for  they  abound  in 
that  most  poisonous  of  essences — viz.,  prussic  acid.  The  form  this 
poison  takes  is  narcotic,  and  the  symptoms  are  drowsiness  and  stupor. 
We  remember  a  case  where  a  tribe  of  most  valuable  Shorthorns  got 
at  shrubs  of  this  sort  across  a  frozen  lake  ;  that  danger  had  not  been 
foreseen  or  guarded  against.  In  another  case  the  natural  fence  was 
a  stream  of  some  depth  which,  owing  to  continued  drought,  became 
passable — and  stock  always  like  to  forage  about.  W'^e  have  known 
cases  where  gross  carelessness  has  been  shown  in  the  disposal  of 
clippings  and  cuttings  of  shrubs.  The  only  safe  method  is  to  make  a 
good  bonfire.  (Disc  irded  Christmas  decorations  are  often  left  lying 
about  in  a  most  haphazard  manner,  and  neither  decayed  evergreens  nor 
fine  wire  are  desirable  feed)  We  remember  a  case  where  a  careless 
boy  mowed  grass  under  a  Laburnum  tree  just  as  the  seeds  were  shed, 
and  carefully  conveyed  it  to  a  yardful  of  pigs — result,  several  funerals. 
Mr.  Garruthers  also  finds  death  was  caused  to  young  cattle  by  the 
eating  of  Nicotiana  affin  is.  It  seems  strange  to  us  how  they  got  a 
chance  of  tasting  this  particular  growth  ;  it  is  generally  only  found 
in  gardens 
Need  we  speak  of  the  poisonous  nature  of  Yew  ?  The  action  is  so 
quick  that  there  is  time  for  no  remedy  ;  indeed  the  first  intimation 
that  anything  is  WTong  is  the  dead  body  of  the  victim.  It  has  been 
supposed  that  only  half-withered  bits  of  iew  were  injurious ;  of  that 
the  authorities  seem  uncertain  ;  but  there  is  a  concurrence  of  opinion 
that  the  fresh  young  shoots  are  fairly  safe,  though  not  a  desirable 
feed. 
1  here  are  two  other  plants  that  have  been  found  to  be  fatal  to 
stock  not  quite  so  well  known  as  some  of  the  aforementioned.  The 
first  which  was  fatal  to  sheep  and  cattle  is  a  habitant  of  ditches  and 
watercourses,  the  English  name  being  Waterdrop  Wort  or  Water 
Hemlock.  It  is  supposed  that  stock  accustomed  to  grazing  in  meadows 
where  this  plant  is  found  learn  by  instinct  to  avoid  it;  and  it  would 
be  only  stock  from  upland  pastures  bent  on  trying  all  herbage  in  their 
new  quarters  would  make  a  meal  of  Water  Hemlock.  Another  plant 
to  be  carefully  avoided  is  Dogs’  Mercury  (MdVcurialis  perennis).  Left 
to  themselves  stock  will  not  touch  it,  and  in  cases  where  it  has  proved 
fatal  it  has  been  found  that  the  plant  has  been  introduced  to  the  stable 
among  cut  fodder.  As  it  grows  in  woody  or  shady  places  there  can  be 
little  or  no  excuse  for  the  carelessness  of  the  grass  cutter.  Fodder 
from  such  situations  is  neither  good  nor  desirable. 
After  two  years  where  acorns  have  been  most  plentiful,  we  are 
hardly  likely  to  have  another  prolific  season ;  still  it  is  as  well  to  be 
^n  the  look  out.  ’I'here  have  been  so  many  cases  of  illness  and  death 
from  over-indulgence  in  this  particular,  shall  we  say  fruit  or  nut 
Like  the  schoolboy’s  rich  cake,  divided  it  would  do  no  harm,  but 
gobbled  up  by  <  ne  the  results  would  not  be  pleasant.  Unfortunately^ 
animals  as  well  as  boys  do  not  always  know  when  to  stop. 
Mr.  Garruthers  has  been  able  to  prove  a  “  not  guilty  ”  in  the  case 
of  several  suspected  plants,  such  as  Hogweed  or  Gowkeep,  which 
stock  will  partake  of  freely ;  and  Self-heal,  -which  is  simply  a  weed 
instead  of  a  fodder  plant.  There  has  been  an  idea  prevalent  in  soma 
districts  that  Ground  Ivy  (Nepeta  Glechoma)  will  cause  abortion 
in  fcaling  mares.  This  is  quite  an  aspersion,  as  the  plant  is  quite 
harmless.  The  seed  of  the  Corn  Cockle  plant,  which  will  usually  be 
found  in  the  small  offals  of  corn  reserved  for  poultry,  are  of  a  distinctly 
poisonous  nature,  and  care  should  be  taken  to  sow  no  sample  of  corn 
in  which  these  seeds  are  found.  There  is  a  species  of  Bitter  Yetch 
(Lathyrus),  the  seeds  of  which  contain  narcotic  poison,  and  therefore 
were  very  much  out  of  place  in  a  sample  of  horse  corn. 
Year  by  year  the  work  of  the  consulting  botanist  grows  and 
increases — people  are  more  alive  to  the  value  of  assured  knowledge  on 
uncertain  questions,  and  having  regard  to  the  national  importance  of 
such  researches,  and  the  fact  that  Continental  nations  pay  for  and 
organise  similar  ones  out  of  national  funds,  it  would  not  be  unreasonable 
to  ask  the  British  Government  to  do  the  same.  Now  that  the  Royal 
Agricultural  Society  finds  it  to  be  necessary  to  suspend  the  touring 
nature  of  its  annual  show,  and  to  make  the  show  a  fixture,  in  order  to 
make  ends  meet,  it  might  surely  be  relieved  of  the  burden  of  carrying 
on  public  experiments  and  researches. 
Work  on  the  Home  Farm. 
We  are  having  finer  weather,  as  there  has  been  only  a  wet  night  to 
break  a  fine  week,  so  drilling  proceeds  merrily.  We  have  met  one 
farmer  who  had  all  sown  by  April  Ist,  but  we  must  imagine  that  he  is 
a  rara  avis. 
We  have  much  more  satisfaction  in  drilling  Barley  now,  as  there  is 
a  better  mould,  and  with  a  cloud  of  dust  behind  the  drill  there  is  a 
good  prospect  for  a  crop.  We  see  many  farmers  sowing  or  drilling 
small  seeds  immediately  after  the  Barley,  and  harrowing  all  in  together. 
This  is  a  good  plan  for  the  grasses,  but  Clovers  may  be  buried  too 
deeply,  therefore  we  prefer  to  Cambridge  roll  the  land  after  the  Barley 
has  been  harrowed  in,  then  sow  the  seeds  on  the  roller  seams.  One 
more  harrowing  will  well  cover  the  seeds,  whilst  leaving  them  near 
enough  to  the  surface.  Some  land  is  so  given  to  weeds  that  it  is 
absolutely  necessary  to  postpone  the  sowing  of  Clover  until  after  the 
Barley  is  up,  but  we  do  not  like  the  system,  and  would  not  practise  it 
unless  absolutely  compelled,  as  our  own  experience  has  quite  convinced 
us  that  the  harrowing  of  growing  Barley  is  responsible  for  unevenness 
in  many  otherwise  good  samples. 
Harrowing  Wheat  is  quite  another  matter,  and,  as  the  weather  is 
now  favourable,  it  should  be  rolled,  if  that  has  not  already  been  done, 
and  well  harrowed.  We  have  never  yet  seen  anything  but  good  come 
from  harrowing  Wheat,  if  it  be  done  before  May.  This  is  the  time  to 
put  salt  on,  if  it  be  thought  desirable.  Four  cwt.  per  acre,  costing 
3s.  6d.,  will  pay  to  apply  on  light  land,  especially  if  nitrate  of  soda  be 
used  as  well,  for  the  salt  has  a  good  effect  on  the  healthiness  of  the 
straw.  Nitrate  should  be  applied  this  month  if  at  all,  1  cwt.  per  acre 
is  enough  for  any  Wheat  crop,  and  we  have  more  often  used  about 
80  lbs.  per  acre. 
Spring  Tares  for  use  in  harvest  must  soon  be.  sown.  We  have 
generally  sown  autumn  Tares  in  April  to  come  in  after  the  autumn  sown 
ones,  as  we  think  this  variety  produces  better  green  fodder  than  the 
spring  sort,  as  it  is  not  so  frothy  and  watery.  Autumn  planted  Cabbage 
are  now  beginning  to  grow  nicely,  and  they  must  be  kept  clean  by  the 
use  of  the  hose  and  hand  hoe.  1  cwt.  of  sulphate  of  ammonia  per  acre 
will  do  this  crop  good.  It  should  be  sprinkled  between  the  rows  and 
skerried  in.  It  may  not  be  near  the  plants,  but  the  roots  will  find  it  as 
it  gets  washed  down,  and  nitrifaction  takes  place. 
Daintiness  of  Sheep.— Sheep  deserve  the  name  of  “neat  cattle” 
much  more  than  do  the  bovine  race.  They  are  more  dainty  about  their 
food  and  water  than  any  other  animal  we  know,  unless  it  be  a  thorough¬ 
bred  horse.  The  food  that  other  animals  have  left  and  have  breathed 
upon  they  reject  at  once.  They  will  not  pick  fodder  or  grain  from  the 
mud.  They  will  not  drink  from  a  dirty  puddle,  and  they  would  jump 
a  rod  or  go  a  mile  round  sooner  than  to  wade  through  one,  or  through 
a  muddy  place  in  the  road.  In  all  this  they  must  be  humoured,  and  if 
the  hens  roost  on  the  sheep  racks,  and  the  fioor  of  the  sheep  shed  is  not 
kept  dry  and  clean,  we  cannot  expect  thrifty  sheep  or  strong  healthy 
lambs.  They  also  object  to  the  grain  if  it  is  mouldy,  or  if  rats  have 
frequented  the  bin,  and  will  go  hungry  with  grain  or  rotten  roots  before, 
them  if  the  smell  is  nob  such  as  they  approve.  .  The  careful  shepherd, 
says  a  contemporary,  should  keep  all  this  in  mind. 
