522 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
November  28,  1895. 
JUDICIOUS  CHANGE 
Or,  in  other  words,  changing  our  system  of  farming  with 
judgment,  care,  sAll,  so  as  to  meet  present  requirements,  growing 
that  which  is  in  demand,  giving  up  the  culture  of  that  on 
which  a  profit  is  impossible,  always  mana^Rg  so  well  that  the 
annual  balance  sheet  is  in  our  favour,  and  so  keep  our  farms 
going  at  any  rate  To  do  this  in  the  best  way,  recognition  must 
first  of  all  be  given  to  the  fact  that  even  with  reduced  rents  we 
cannot  expect  to  obtain  anything  like  such  a  return  from  the 
land  as  we  did  when  the  price  of  all  farm  produce  was  high. 
We  have  now  to  be  content  with  small  profits,  nor  need  we  mind 
this  so  long  as  the  sum  total  of  receipts  well  covers  that  of 
expenditure,  leaving  us  enough  for  the  maintenance  of  our 
families,  with  something  to  boot,  something  to  add  to  our 
reserve  fund  for  emergencies. 
How  to  do  this  is  the  problem  before  us,  and  this  problem  is 
in  course  of  being  solved  by  dire  necessity,  and  all  farmers  have 
come  to  admit  that  there  must  be  a  radical  change.  Probably 
the  last  section  to  acknowledge  this  was  that  which,  born  and 
bred  to  corn  farming  pure  and  simple,  could  not  be  made 
for  years  to  see  that  corn  was  down  in  value  for  many  a 
long  day.  We  retain  a  lively  remembrance  of  the  look  of  incre¬ 
dulity,  the  smJe  superior  of  the  members  of  an  East  Anglian 
Farmer.’  Club  when  we  in  response  to  the  invitation  of  the 
Secretary  ventured  in  a  lecture  to  propound  our  views  on  mixed 
farming  as  a  remedy  for  hard  times.  They  had  then  bravely 
borne  the  brunt  of  some  seven  or  eight  years  of  the  depression, 
and  were  still  full  of  fight,  still  clinging  with  stolid  persistence 
to  a  four  course  shift.  But  they  have  at  length  had  to  bow 
to  the  inevitable,  to  own  themselves  beaten,  and  are  now  seeking 
for  light  in  laying  down  much  of  the  land  to  temporary  or  per¬ 
manent  pasture. 
In  doing  this  there  is  still  much  ignorance  and  prejudice  to 
combat.  Yet  we  have  the  fact  before  us,  which  cannot  be 
explained  away  or  denied,  that  Scotch  farmers  came  to  Essex  in 
considerable  numbers  during  the  first  decade  of  the  depression, 
and  they  at  once  and  successfully  laid  down  from  five-sixths  to 
seven-eighths  of  their  farms  to  temporary  pasture.  Now  this  was 
Essex  clay,  of  which  many  farmers  still  say  that  it  will  not  bear 
good  pasture. 
If  such  good  men  would  only  modify  their  views  of  profits, 
and  would  see  that  under  such  a  change  their  annual  outgoings 
would  be  so  much  reduced  that  they  could  live  and  thrive  on 
the  land  still.  Hear  Mr.  R.  Hunter  Pringle  on  this  He  was 
the  Commissi,  ner  whose  report  on  the  sufferings  and  loss  of 
corn  growers  in  Essex  caused  such  a  profound  sensation  a  short 
time  ago.  He  says  now  through  the  Agricultural  Gazette, 
“  Grass  can  never  be  grown  on  Essex  clay  as  it  can  on  Meath 
loam  There  will  always  be  liability  to  disappointment  and 
exposure  to  risk.  There  will  always  be  a  peculiar  necessity  for 
coaxing  and  humouring,  regular  observation  and  timely  action, 
fair  play,  and  intelligent  treatment. 
“  It  is  because  wherever  I  found  these  conditions  in  combi¬ 
nation  and  existence,  I  also  discovered  the  stiffest  fields  giving 
a  ready  response,  that  I  entertain  the  hope  that  something  may 
yet  be  done  with  our  very  coldest  clay.  Permanent  pastures 
are,  in  my  opinion,  altogether  out  of  the  question,  and  even 
temporary  pastures  on  such  soil  can  never  restore  such  land 
as  Suffolk  and  Essex  clay  to  anything  approaching  its  former 
value;  bict  hy  the  application  of  the  ordinary  rules  of  good  grass 
farming  I  feel  confident  that  our  stifest  soils  could  he  saved  from 
perdition,  and  made  to  pay  a  rent  and  leave  a  profit," 
The  italics  are  his,  and  are  reproduced  as  serving  to 
emphasise  the  opinion  of  the  Commissioner,  once  himself  as 
East  Anglian  farmer,  and  to  whose  weighty  words  it  is  impos¬ 
sible  to  attach  too  much  importance.  That  temporary  pasture 
has  been — is  being — a  success  on  such  land,  and  that  some  of 
its  permanent  pasture  is  a  failure,  is  quite  true  ;  but  we  have 
had  some  excellent  old  pasture  in  our  hands  on  Essex  clay  and 
much  more  in  Suffolk,  and  are  bound  to  say  that  with  the 
thorough  cultivation  implied  by  his  “  coaxing  and  humouring” 
permanent  pasture  is  entirely  satisfactory  on  such  land.  “  Out 
of  cultivation  ”  is  the  term  applied  to  land  laid  down  to  grass 
in  that  locality.  It  is  correct  enough  as  pointing  to  the  absence 
of  anything  like  proper  care  or  cultivation  of  it. 
(To  be  continued.') 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
Ab  usual  there  is  still  much  late  clearing  off  root  crops  being  done. 
Cold  wet  work  for  men  and  boys,  heavy  work  lor  horses,  land  much  cut  up. 
roots  frozen,  the  whole  thing  a  glaring  example  of  mismanagement. 
Some  farmers  always  seem  behindhand  with  their  work,  results  never 
can  be  satisfactory  ;  yet  if  only  they  would  set  themselves  to  be  as  much 
beforehand  they  would  be  practically  independent  of  weather,  the 
work  would  be  better  done  at  less  cost,  crops  and  stock  would  be  better 
cared  for,  and  every  ad  vantage  taken  of  a  forward  season. 
See  that  all  cows,  store  cattle,  horses,  and  pigs  have  dry,  clean 
litter  for  bedding,  cleaning  out  every  stall,  hovel,  and  sty  daily.  If  we 
would  have  our  live  stock  kept  healthy  and  thriving  now  there  must  be 
extra  care  to  keep  them  clean,  comfortable,  and  well  fed.  Allow  no 
cows  or  store  cattle  to  have  their  coats  clotted  with  filth,  as  is  so 
generally  the  case  in  winter.  Ic  is  only  by  close  daily  attention  that 
they  can  be  kept  clean  ;  with  it  there  is  no  difficulty,  as  filth  cannot  dry 
on  them. 
Not  only  should  the  stock  man  be  kept  well  up  to  his  duties  by  day, 
but  the  foreman  or  bailiff  in  charge  of  the  home  farm  should  always 
take  a  last  look  round  with  his  lantern  of  an  evening.  'With  thirteen  or 
fourteen  hours  of  darkness,  every  yard  with  its  buildings  should  be 
inspected  at  between  eight  and  nine  in  the  evening.  It  is  the  bailiff 
who  ought  to  know  intimately  every  animal  on  the  farm — its  age, 
pedigree,  constitution,  and  to  see  that  any  special  wants  have  special 
attention. 
Allow  no  delicate  cows  to  be  out  in  yards  at  night,  but  have  them 
shut  in  warm  hovels,  where  it  is  certain  they  cannot  come  to  harm.  Very 
much  of  injury  and  loss  among  our  live  stock  might  be  avoided  by  the 
exercise  of  such  care  as  we  intimate.  See  that  farm  horses  coming  off 
a  long  journey  late  have  thorough  grooming,  gruel,  extra  corn,  dry 
bedding,  and  plenty  of  it.  Carters  come  off  such  journeys  as  tired 
as  their  horses,  and  a  little  extra  help  is  well  bestowed  in  the  master’s 
interest  then. 
METEOROLOGICAL  OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamden  Squarb,  London. 
Lat.51°  32' 40"  N. ;  Long.  0°  8/  0"  tV.;  Altitude  111  feet. 
Date. 
9  A.M. 
In  the  Day. 
d 
"S 
a 
1895. 
November. 
Barometer 
j  at  32“^,  and 
I  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. 
Inch  3, 
Sunday  . .  17 
30-116 
49-2 
47-4 
S. 
48-2 
54-7 
43-7 
73-3 
37-1 
— 
Monday  ..  18 
30-406 
3t-0 
34-0 
N. 
46-2 
39-1 
32-0 
42-0 
28-1 
0-010 
Tuesday  ..  19 
30-225 
38-8 
38-6 
N.E. 
43-7 
47-3 
32-9 
59-0 
25-1 
— 
Wednesday  2  ) 
29-914 
47-0 
46-6 
E. 
44  1 
52-1 
39-3 
53-9 
30  9 
— 
Thursday . .  21 
30-033 
46-2 
45-2 
N.E. 
45-8 
51-0 
44-2 
61-6 
41-1 
0-017 
Friday  .,  22 
30-213 
50-2 
50-1 
N.W. 
48*1 
52-2 
45-1 
56-3 
39-1 
0-256 
Saturday  . .  23 
29-776 
37-9 
35-9 
N.W. 
46  1 
46-2 
36-2 
51-8 
32-4 
1,-04-i 
3  ,-099 
43-3 
42-5 
45-7 
48-9 
39-1 
56-8 
33-4 
0-329 
REMARKS. 
17th.— Overcast  early,  and  a  shower  at  9.45  A.M. ;  generally  sunny  after  11  A.M.,  and 
clear  night. 
18th. — Gold  and  dense  fog  nearly  all  day,  varying  considerably,  at  times  very  dense. 
19th.— Slight  fog  early  ;  sunny  morning ;  cloudy  afternoon. 
20th. — Overcast  all  day,  with  spots  of  rain  in  afternoon  and  evening. 
21st. — Overcast  early;  frequent  faint  sunshine  in  morning;  overcast  after,  with  spots 
of  rain  at  times. 
22nd.— Dull  and  drizzly  early  ;  fair  day,  with  a  little  faint  sun  in  afternoon ;  rain  from 
10.30  P.M. 
2Srd. — Rain  till  3  A.M.,  and  showery  all  the  morning,  with  occasional  wet  snow ;  fine 
afternoon,  with  some  sunshine. 
Rather  cooler  ;  temperature  near  the  average  ;  rainfall  below  it. — G.  J.  Stmons. 
