144 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  8, 1896. 
80  that  we  can  have  the  land  clean  and  in  ridges  before  there  is 
any  serious  risk  of  hindrance  to  the  work  by  heavy  rain.  We 
had  this  year  Wheat  harvest  in  full  swing  in  the  midlands 
the  last  week  of  July;  Oats  were  reaped  a  week,  and  in  some 
instances  a  fortnight,  earlier  ;  very  much  Barley  is  becoming 
so  ripe  and  golden  that  it  must  follow  the  Wheat  closely,  so 
that  with  fine  weather  much  of  the  corn  will  be  stacked  in  the 
next  fortnight,  and  there  will  be  a  rare  opportunity  for  autumn 
tillage,  which  if  turned  to  full  account  should  leave  the  land 
clean  and  ridged  for  winter  ready  for  manure  and  cropping  in 
spring. 
Greatly  do  we  deplore  seeing  so  much  foul  land— so  many 
inferior  crops  this  summer.  Better  have  no  land  than  land  foul 
and  poor.  If  corn  is  sown  at  all  now  it  is  only  under  every 
advantage  of  rich  soil,  good  seed,  and  thorough  tillage  that  it 
can  answer.  As  being  one  of  the  most  important  factors  to 
success,  we  plead  once  more  for  autumn  tillage,  for  the  destruc¬ 
tion  of  all  perennial  weeds,  such  as  Couch  Grass.  Thistles,  Docks, 
and  Coltsfoot.  Where  Coltsfoot  is  rampant  it  is  a  certain 
indication  that  the  drainage  is  at  fault,  and  while  water  is 
retained  in  the  soil  so  as  to  render  it  sodden  and  cold,  full  crops 
of  any  sort  are  an  impossibility. 
Drainage  is  a  matter  in  which  the  landlord  will  help  ;  it  is, 
moreover,  work  best  held  over  for  winter.  It  is  bare  stubbles 
and  tillage  rather  that  we  have  now  to  deal ;  let  us  see  what  can 
be  done  with  them.  With  corn  off  the  land  so  early,  and  a 
certain  failure  or  half  crops  of  roots,  stubble  Turnips  are 
certain  to  be  sown  largely,  for  if  they  give  no  large  roots  they 
are  certain  to  afford  a  lot  of  useful  feed  or  keeping  for  the  flock. 
Sutton’s  Early  Six-weeks  Turnip  sown  now  gives  under  favour¬ 
able  conditions  excellent  late  autumn  feeding,  and  the  same 
firm’s  Purple-top  Mammoth  winters  well  from  an  August  sowing, 
especially  on  light  land.  We  should  not  hesitate  to  sow  it  also 
on  good  mixed  soil. 
As  a  succession  to  it,  Hardy  Green  Round  answers  well  if 
sown  a  fortnight  later  ;  its  habit  of  rooting  well  into  the  soil  is 
much  in  its  favour  as  a  hardy  winter  variety.  We  do  not  like  a 
very  stimulating  manure  for  late  Turnips,  but  then  it  is  utter 
folly  to  sow  on  poor  land.  For  a  clean  but  rather  poor  field, 
time  being  of  importance,  we  are  just  using  the  means  lying 
ready  to  our  hands,  and  that  is  4  cwt  per  acre  of  a  combina¬ 
tion  we  have  given  here  once  or  twice  :  — One- eighth  nitrate  of 
soda,  one-eighth  sulphate  of  ammonia,  one-eighth  steamed  bone- 
flour,  one-eighth  muriate  of  potash,  one-half  mineral  super¬ 
phosphate.  We  know,  at  any  rate,  that  here  are  all  the  essentials, 
and  that  we  are  perfectly  safe  in  using  such  a  fine  all-round 
plant  food  in  moderation  for  late  Turnips  or  any  other  crop 
sown  in  soil  somewhat  deficient  in  fertility,  and  what  soil  is  not 
deficient  in  some  degree  after  a  crop  is  taken  from  it  ? 
For  wintering  well  a  strong  plant  in  a  free  soil  must  be  had 
of  the  crimson  Italian  Clover  (Trifolium  incarnatum).  The 
early  harvest  is  obviously  in  favour  of  this  useful  crop,  and  it 
will  probably  have  a  trial  farther  north  than  usual.  In  the 
southern  counties  it  is  regarded  as  a  sure  crop  if  got  in  early 
enough.  We  have  had  excellent  crops  of  it  in  mixed  soil  in 
Suffolk,  but  never  so  good  anywhere  as  in  Sussex.  If  only  a 
really  clean  stubble  on  porous  soil  can  be  had  we  like  sowing 
fairly  early  in  August — broadcast,  with  a  turn  or  two  of  heavy 
bush  harrows,  followed  at  once  by  light  Barley  I’ollers.  If  sown 
early — say,  by  the  middle  of  August — 24  lbs.  of  really  good  seeds 
per  acre  are  sufficient,  if  later  3  or  4  lbs.  more  seed  is  worth  while. 
After  August  we  regard  sowing  this  Trifolium  as  a  speculative 
matter.  With  a  fine  month  or  siS'weets  after  the  sowing  it  may 
do,  but  the  point  of  importance  is  a  full  strong  plant  carpeting 
the  soil  well  before  the  October  fall  of  temperature  and  heavy 
rainfall  is  on  us. 
Though  not  a  crop  to  wait  upon  the  chances  .of  harvest. 
Thousand-headed  Kale  must  have  mention  here,  because  it  is 
indispensable.  A  good  bit  of  fallow  got  clean  and  in  good  heart 
is  just  the  place  for  it.  A  rich  free  soil  and  drilling  at  the  end 
of  July  or  early  this  month  gives  us  an  invaluable  supply  of  the 
most  wholesome,  nutritious  green  food  in  March  and  April,  or 
even  a  month  eaxdier  in  a  mild  winter.  But  it  is  really  cold, 
trying  weather  that  we  have  most  in  mind  when  sowing  Kale, 
for  it  bears  the  most  severe  weather  with  impunity ;  the  bulk 
of  food  which  it  affords  is  large,  it  does  not  cause  scour,  and 
then  above  all  things  from  this  particular  sowing  we  have  a 
supply  of  food  just  at  that  critical  time  of  year  when  winter 
stores  run  low,  when  the  mind  will  dwell  on  the  number  of 
weeks  till  turn-out  time,  and  weigh  the  possibilities  of  an  early 
spring. 
In  all  such  provision  for  winter  and  spring  we  have  to  take 
into  account  a  possible  long,  hard  winter — head  of  stock  to  be 
wintered  so  many,  quantity  of  food  required  so  much.  Surely 
in  this  matter  he  is  the  wise  man  who  takes  good  care  to  allow 
a  liberal  margin  on  the  side  of  food,  and  to  resolve  so  to  store 
and  provide  so  to  be  able  to  keep  up  condition  in  herd  and  flock, 
so  as  to  turn  them  out  fresh  and  thriving  when  spring  time 
comes  once  more.  continued.) 
WOEK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
With  root-singling,  haymaking,  and  corn  harvest  all  in  hand,  both 
the  farmer  and  his  men  are  having  a  busy  time  just  now.  It  is  just 
worth  while  giving  a  thought  to  cause  of  this  muddle,  and  to  resolve  to 
try  another  season  to  have  things  a  bit  more  in  order.  This  year,  even 
with  the  aid  of  self-binders,  every  hand  procurable  appears  to  be 
wanted.  It  is  indeed  a  busy  time,  and  it  should  continue  to  be  so  right 
onwards  into  October.  We  hold  that  with  harvest  saved  early  more 
good  work  can  be  done  on  the  land  for  the  month,  or  six  weeks  that 
follow  than  at  any  other  time  of  year. 
Reap  at  once  when  the  corn  of  both  Wheat  and  Oats  becomes  so  dry 
that  no  juice  can  be  squeezed  out  of  it.  If  Oat  straw  is  required  for 
fodder  it  is  best  reaped  early,  and  for  another  good  reason — i.e.,  to 
prevent  the  corn  from  being  shaken  out.  On  the  whole  the  corn  stands 
up  well,  only  occasional  fields  of  it  having  been  beaten  down  by  storms. 
Where  the  crops  are  thin  it  appears  to  be  coming  down  very  ripe,  and 
will  soon  be  ready  for  the  ricks. 
Timely  showeis  have  given  us  an  abundant  aftermath,  and  pasture 
generally  is  green  once  more  ;  but  there  is  very  little  of  useful  growth 
on  poor  land,  and  we  actually  saw  hay  given  to  cows  out  on  the 
pasture  in  the  last  week  of  July  on  our  way  up*  to  London  from 
Leicester  one  evening.  Potatoes  are  much  improved  by  the  rain  which 
fell  in  time  for  the  main  crop,  but  earlier  sorts  are  sprouting,  and  should 
be  got  up  at  once,  or  the  crop  will  be  spoiled. 
We  have  seen  no  blight  spots  yet,  and  hope  not  to,  as  we  have  had 
the  sprayer  briskly  at  work  with  the  Bordeaux  mixture,  to  be  successful 
with  which  it  is  obvious  that  we  must  be  watchful,  and  if  after  once 
using  it  heavy  rain  falls  on  the  Potatoes  it  will  wash  off  the  dressing, 
which  must  be  applied  again  promptly.  Only  the  interval  of  a  day  may 
prove  fatal,  and  the  reason  why  is  that  while  the  coating  of  the 
Bordeaux  mixture  remains  intact  it  forms  an  effectual  shield  against 
blight,  but  if  washed  off  the  blight  spores  may  fall  upon  the  leaves  and 
become  established  in  them  before  another  dressing  is  applied.  i 
METEOROLOGICAL  OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamden  Square,  London. 
Lat.51°  32' 40"  N. :  Long.  0°  8/  0"  W.:  Altitude  111  feet. 
Date. 
9  A.M. 
In  the  Day. 
d 
'S 
P4 
1895. 
July  and 
August.* 
1  Barometer 
at32“,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  . . 
28 
29-607 
65  9 
55-2 
N.B. 
62-6 
61-8 
53-0 
77-9 
53-4 
0-126- 
Monday  . . 
29 
29-901 
60-9* 
56  6 
N. 
611 
67-s 
55-0 
110-8 
53-8 
Tuesday  . . 
30 
30-030 
60-1 
54-3 
N. 
61-1 
68-6 
54-2 
111-3 
52-1 
— 
Wednesday 
31 
30-024 
61-1 
57-1 
N. 
61-0 
71-2 
65-0 
118-1 
5  .-4 
— 
Thursday . . 
1 
30-045 
59-8 
65-0 
N. 
61-1 
67-4 
47-3 
89-2 
42-9 
0-010- 
Friday 
2 
29-723 
60-0 
58-7 
S. 
60-9 
72-0 
56-8 
113-9 
5-2-2 
0-116- 
Saturday  . . 
3 
29-591 
58  8 
65-9 
3.W. 
60-8 
64-6 
53-1 
97-9 
49  0 
0-472 
29-846 
59-5 
56-1 
61-2 
67-S 
63-6 
102-7 
51-0 
0-723- 
REMARKS. 
28th. — Heavy  continuous  rain  from  midnight  to  6  A.M.,  and  almost  continuous  drizzle 
or  fine  rain  till  8  P.M. ;  but  rainless  intervals,  especially  in  the  morning. 
29th. — Fine  and  pleasant,  but  frequently  cloudy. 
30th.— Sunny  till  about  2.30  P.M. ;  overcast  later,  and  looking  storm  like. 
31st.— Overcast  early  ;  generally  sunny  after  10  a.M. 
Ist. — Sunny  morning  ;  haze  and  thin  cloud  in  afternoon. 
2nd. — Overcast  early,  and  drizzly  from  7  a.m.  ;  rain  from  10  A.M.  to  noon ;  generally 
sunny  after. 
3rd. — Overcast,  with  spots  of  rain  in  morning;  showers  in  afternoon,  and  heavy  rain 
in  evening  and  night. 
A  cool,  wet  week.— G.  J.  STMONS. 
