450 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
November  7, 1895. 
GRASS  VERSUS  CORN. 
Of  the  Assistant  Commissioners’  reports  on  the  condition  of 
agriculture  written  for  the  Royal  Commission  on  Agriculture, 
two  of  the  latest — that  on  Norfolk  by  Mr.  R.  H.  Rew,  and  that 
on  Cumberland  by  Mr.  Wilson  Fox — present  a  striking  contrast, 
as  illustrating  the  relati^^e  value  of  corn  land  and  pasture  under 
the  depression,  and  their  influence  upon  the  condition  of  land¬ 
lord  and  tenant  now.  In  Norfolk  the  farmers  have  kept  to  the 
four-course  shift,  which  for  a  century  had  caused  that  county 
to  be  regarded  as  a  remarkable  example  of  how  high  farming 
renders  a  naturally  poor  soil  as  productive  as  that  which  is  rich 
in  pristine  fertility.  Yet  though  rents  have  fallen  25  to  60  per 
cent ,  and  that  part  of  the  land  which  has  been  kept  under  good 
cultivation  is  as  produstive  as  ever,  corn  has  fallen  so  low  in 
value  as  to  realise  less  than  the  cost  of  its  production.  The 
farmers  have  struggled  on,  clinging  to  the  system  under  which 
their  forefathers  had  been  so  prosperous,  the  tenants  holding 
on  better  than  the  yeomen,  whose  interest  on  their  mortgages 
has  not  been  reduced  like  the  tenants’  rent.  The  yeomen  have 
practically  vanished,  the  tenants  ai'e  following — will  follow 
them,  unless  recourse  be  had  to  a  new  system  of  farming.  On 
the  largest  estate  in  the  county,  the  Holkham  estate  of  the 
Earl  of  Leicester,  no  tenant  had  ever  thrown  up  a  farm  till 
Michaelmas,  1894,  when  eight  of  them  gave  up  their  holdings, 
notwithstanding  a  reduction  of  45  per  cent,  in  the  rental 
during  the  last  sixteen  years. 
In  Cumberland,  on  the  other  hand,  where  in  1894  only 
98,543  acres  of  all  kinds  of  corn  were  grown  on  a  total  culti¬ 
vated  area  of  581,949  acres,  and  where,  during  the  last  twenty 
years,  there  has  been  an  annual  addition  of  between  1000  and 
2000  acres  to  the  permanent  pasture,  the  Commissioner  found 
but  few  “  outward  and  visible  signs  ”  of  agricultural  depression. 
Farms  are  in  good  demand  at  moderately  reduced  rents,  and 
rents  are  so  well  paid  that  on  an  estate  of  nearly  twice  the  size 
of  that  mentioned  in  Norfolk,  there  is  not  a  single  defaulter. 
That  the  term  of  “  moderate  reduction  ”  is  justly  applicable  to 
the  rents  of  this  county  is  shown  by  the  Commissioner’s 
estimate  of  15  to  25  per  cent.  For  comparison  we  may  mention 
that  Mr.  Rew  gives  examples  of  reductions  in  Norfolk  of  60  and 
76  per  cent.  It  is  not  claimed  that  the  Cumberland  farmers 
have  suffered  no  loss  under  the  depression;  on  the  contrary, 
it  is  shown  that  they  have  had — are  having — a  severe  struggle. 
By  their  wisdom  in  the  timely  withdrawal  from  the  cultivation 
of  cereals,  by  downright  hard  work,  by  the  exercise  of  thrift, 
energy,  and  foresight— sound  judgment  in  selection,  skill  in  the 
breeding,  management,  and  disposal  of  their  live  stock,  they 
continue  to  pay  their  way  and  something  more. 
Cattle  breeding,  sheep  breeding,  and  dairying  absorb  most  of 
their  attention  as  really  profitable  branches  of  agriculture. 
Black-faced  sheep  for  the  hills.  White  faced  for  the  lowlands, 
and  the  hardy,  shaggy,  polled  Galloway  cattle  everywhere,  are 
articles  of  faith  with  them.  Pure  Galloways  have  been  much 
improved,  especially  on  home  farms  by  the  landlords — and  the 
Commissioner  calls  attention  to  the  highly  profitable  cross¬ 
bred  Blue-grey  cattle  from  white  Shorthorn  and  black  Gallo¬ 
way  herds.  Fine  examples  of  Blue-greys  have  made  their 
appearance  at  the  London  cattle  shows ;  buyers  now  come  to 
Cumberland  from  long  distances  to  purchase  them,  and  they 
are  said  to  average  £2  a  head  more  than  any  other  cattle  bred 
in  Cumberland.  Mr.  Fox  sums  up  by  saying  that  though  some 
cipital  has  been  lost,  and  many  of  the  farmers  only  just  pay 
their  way,  in  spite  of  hard  work,  yet  if  present  prices  of  stock 
continue  he  thinks  that  Cumberland  farmers,  if  they  help  them¬ 
selves  in  the  future  as  they  have  done  in  the  past,  may  be  able 
to  pursue  their  calling  with  sufficient  success. 
For  Norfolk  the  Earl  of  Leicester  has  a  scheme  of  reform, 
an  outcome  of  his  own  practice,  which  bears  some  resemblance 
to  the  method  pursued  by  the  Scotch  farmers  in  Essex. 
Temporary  pasture  down  for  about  eight  years  —  never  less, 
sometimes  more — forms  the  basis  of  the  scheme.  Grazing  with 
sheep — lightly  during  the  first  three  years— always  with  caution 
and  judgment,  renders  the  land  suitable  when  broken  up  for 
a  rotation  of  Rape,  Oats,  Turnips,  and  Barley  again  seeded 
down.  It  is  obvious  that  the  Rape  and  Turnips  can  each  in 
turn  be  folded,  which  explains  Lord  Leicester’s  assertion  that 
land  so  managed  yields  abundant  crops  and  requires  no  manure. 
The  term  is  misleading,  because  sustained  fertility  of  a  very 
high  order  is  certain  if  the  sheep  are  folded  and  taken  over  the 
pasture  skilfully.  What  is  really  meant  is  no  dressing  of  either 
chemical  or  farmyard  manure.  It  is  claimed  that  the  straw  is 
either  consumed  by  bullocks  in  yards  or  converted  into  manure, 
which  is  used  on  other  land  Here  Barley  is  indicated.  Oats 
may,  of  course,  enter  equally  well  into  the  scheme,  and  we  should 
certainly  expect  much  of  the  corn  and  straw  to  be  consumed  to 
advantage  by  the  flock . 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
The  cold  snap  at  the  end  of  October  was  a  reminder  that  winter  is 
coming,  and  that  all  work  upon  the  land  at  all  dependent  on  fine 
weather  should  be  done  without  delay.  It  has  certainly  given  an 
impetus  to  the  clearance  of  the  root  crop,  to  which  no  harm  has  been 
done.  But  still  there  might  have  been  harm,  and  we  do  not  like  running 
any  risk.  If  it  is  worth  while  going  to  the  expense  of  cultivating  such 
an  expensive  crop  as  Mangolds  or  Swedes,  then,  however  well  off  we 
may  be  with  fodder  corn,  our  best  efforts  should  be  forthcoming  to 
save,  store,  and  use  the  roots  in  sound  condition.  We  never  can  under¬ 
stand  writers  who  say  because  one  crop  is  a  poor  one  we  should  do  our 
best  to  save  another  crop.  Such  an  incentive  ought  never  to  be  required. 
But  then  there  is  so  much  that  is  paradoxical  in  poor  humanity. 
We  have  so  much  hedging  and  ditching  on  our  hands  that  it  is 
already  in  progress,  and  for  another  reason  most  pleasant  to  record,  that 
having  pushed  on  autumn  tillage,  seed-sowing,  and  root-clearing  earlier 
than  usual,  we  have  got  through,  all  the  arable  land  is  ready  for  winter, 
and  a  certain  number  of  the  men  are  available  for  other  work.  A  strong 
gang  is  engaged  in  planting  Larch  on  some  neglected  land,  which  we 
have  had  in  preparation  for  some  months.  By  means  of  the  steam  cul¬ 
tivator,  harrows,  and  Cambridge  rollers,  it  is  in  capital  order,  the 
planting  is  progressing  well,  though  we  had  some  trouble  in  getting  it 
really  well  done  at  the  outset.  It  is  so  difficult  to  induce  the  men  to 
spread  out  the  roots,  to  cover  with  fine  soil,  to  press  it  down  well  over 
the  roots,  and  to  plant  the  trees  at  the  same  depth  they  were  planted  in 
the  nursery.  In  connection  with  this  work  we  have  been  struck  of  late 
by  the  vast  quantity  of  pit  props  imported  from  Norway  for  the  collieries. 
Could  not  some  of  our  waste  land  be  turned  profitably  co  account  for  a 
home  supply  1  What  with  butter  and  bacon  from  Denmark,  timber  from 
Norway,  and  corn  from  Russia,  exporters  from  those  countries  must 
pouch  an  enormous  amount  of  British  gold  annually  that  might  just  as 
well  go  into  the  pockets  of  some  of  our  depressed  agriculturists  and  help 
to  bring  back  prosperity  to  the  land  again. 
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. 
Bain.  | 
1895. 
October 
and 
November. 
^  P-5 
■S  fl  ® 
®  <£  > 
So-J 
Hygrometer. 
Direc¬ 
tion  of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of  soil 
at 
1  foot. 
Shade  Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
^  CO  05 
rS  43  O 
CQ  i/2 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun. 
On 
Grass. 
Inohs. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Inch  3. 
Sunday  . .  27 
29-757 
34-1 
32-1 
N.W. 
43-0 
44-5 
27-6 
65-9 
25-0 
— 
Monday  ,.  28 
29-782 
29-9 
29-7 
W. 
41-9 
45-8 
23-6 
71-9 
24-1 
0-010 
Tuesday  . ,  29 
29-816 
35-0 
34-4 
N. 
41-2 
41-9 
30-1 
58-9 
28-6 
— 
Wednesday  30 
3J-151 
32-9 
31-2 
N.W. 
41-0 
47-7 
29-0 
66-3 
26-1 
0-013 
Thursday.,  31 
29-898 
47-3 
46-2 
S. 
41-0 
60-9 
32-9 
57-4 
27-9 
0-101 
Friday  . .  1 
30-434 
42  6 
42-6 
N.E. 
42-9 
50-9 
38-9 
55-6 
32-2 
0-010 
Saturday  . .  2 
30-293 
42-4 
41-9 
N.B. 
42  9 
52-3 
37-2 
82-4 
309 
30-119 
37-7 
36-9 
42-0 
47-8 
31-8 
65-5 
27-8 
0-134 
27th.— Slight  fog  early  ;  frequently  sunny  during  day  ;  misty  evening. 
28th. — Misty  early  ;  bright  sunshine  from  9.30  A.M. 
29th.— Oloudy  early  ;  sunny  from  11.30  A.M.  3oth.— Bright  sunshine  almost  throughout. 
31st. — Mild  and  damp,  with  very  slight  showers  early ;  fair  afternoon ;  heavy  rain 
from  5.30  to  7  P.M. 
1st. — The  sun  shining  through  more  or  less  fog  all  day. 
2nd. — Fine  and  frequently  sunny  in  morning  ;  overcast  afternoon. 
Bather  colder  than  the  previous  week  and  of  course  much  below  the  average. 
— G.  3.  Symons. 
