18 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
July  7,  1898. 
The  chief  profit  in  cow-keeping  on  a  small  scale  by  the  agri¬ 
cultural  labourer  arises  Irom  the  facts — and  they  are  very  important 
ones — that  no  account  is  taken  of  and  nothing  is  charged  for  labour* 
that  a  regular  market  for  the  dairy  produce  is  found  at  home  in 
the  owner’s  house  and  in  the  pigsty,  and  that,  very  often,  the  food 
for  the  animal  is  provided  in  a  way  and  at  a  cost  that  would  be 
impossible  on  a  large  scale. 
It  is  very  creditable  to  farmers  when  they  allow  and  encourage 
their  men  to  keep  cows,  especially  if,  as  often  happens,  the  men  get 
material  help  as  well  as  sympathy.  We  know  of  parishes  where 
there  are  what  are  called  cow  cottages—  i.e.,  cottages  to  the  tenancy  of 
each  of  which  is  attached  the  right  to  a  free  run  for  one  cow  in  a 
common  pasture  or  in  the  parish  lanes,  and  also  a  portion  of  the 
produce  of  a  meadow  reserved  by  the  owner  for  the  general  benefit. 
In  one  case  that  we  know  of  the  tenants  of  the  farms  are  required 
by  their  landlord  to  cart  the  hay  for  the  cottage  tenants.  As  in  this 
case  the  cottage  rents,  with  all  this  thrown  in,  are  very  little  higher 
than  rents  in  other  places,  it  is  not  very  surprising  to  find  that  cow¬ 
keeping  under  such  favourable  conditions  is  looked  upon  as  profitable, 
li  a  ready  and  steady  sale  can  be  found  for  new  milk  at  anything 
over  8d.  per  gallon,  we  think  that  cow-keeping  will  pay  on  a  large  as 
well  as  a  small  scale ;  that  there  is  much  profit  in  the  making  of 
butter  we  do  not  believe. 
-But  people  assure  us  that  ave  are  quite  mistaken,  that  only  enter¬ 
prise  and  co-operation  are  needed  (which  means  a  butter  factory)  and 
all  is  couleur  de  rose  (Marechal  Niel,  no  doubt !  !  !).  Now,  some  little 
time  ago  a  leading  light  of  the  dairy  world  who  lives  not  too  far  from 
us  was  thinking  seriously  of  building  a  butter  factory,  and  after  care¬ 
fully  weighing  up  all  the  pros  and  cons,  made  inquiries  as  to  the  price 
at  which  he  could  purchase  new  milk  in  the  neighbourhood  ;  we, 
amongst  others,  were  asked,  and  suggested  74d.  per  gallon.  “  Oh  !  ” 
he  said,  “  I  could  not  give  6d.”  This  was  a  man  who  practically 
knows  all  there  is  to  know  about  dairying,  both  British  and  foreign. 
At  any  rate,  he  knew  better  than  to  build  a  butter  factory ;  but, 
finding  a  good  outlet  for  new  milk,  he  sells  100  gallons  of  milk  per 
day,  and  buys  Danish  butter  for  home  consumption. 
A  few  days  ago  we  read  with  something  akin  to  amazement 
(perhaps  the  right  word  had  the  letter  u  in  it)  a  treatise  on  small 
cow-keeping  from  the  pen  of  an  eminent  and  learned  authority,  in 
which  by  a  skilful  use  of  assumptions  and  figures  it  is  apparently 
proved  that  a  cow  giving  550  gallons  of  milk  per  annum  can  be  kept 
for  twelve  months  in  good  going  order  for  £7  15s.  ;  £3  15s.  of  this 
represents  rent  and  rates,  the  other  £4  has  to  cover  the  cost  of  extra 
food,  insurance,  risks,  labour,  and  all  incidental  expenses,  such  as 
would  be  included  in  the  growth  of  half  an  acre  of  roots  and  Tares, 
and  the  making  and  carting  of  an  acre  of  hay.  We  notice  that 
proving  such  a  feat  as  this  to  be  possible  the  author  begins  almost 
every  one  of  his  paragraphs  with  an  IF.  He  does  not  say  that  such 
a  thing  has  been  done,  but  that  it  might  be  done  if  everything  were 
to  be  ultra  favourable,  and  there  were  no  mishaps  or  failures  of  any 
kind. 
For  one  thing,  it  is  putting  the  cost  of  new  milk  too  low  for  any 
reasonable  person  to  believe  in ;  550  gallons  for  £7  15s.  is  about  3§d. 
per  gallon.  If  it  were  possible  to  produce  milk  at  such  a  price,  can 
we  believe  that,  notwithstanding  all  the  obstacles  that  railway  rates 
can  put  in  the  way,  there  would  not  be  sufficient  milk  sent  into  the 
large  towns  to  reduce  the  price  far  below  its  present  level  ? 
AVe  have  carefully  considered  the  cost  of  a  cow,  allowing  for 
attention,  food,  and  renewals,  and  we  cannot  make  it  come  lower 
than  £13  per  annum,  and  probably  this  is  not  enough. 
The  renewal  item  may  be  a  large  one.  Newly  calved  cows  are 
often  dear  to  buy,  and  if  they  should  unfortunately  afterwards  be 
tound  difficult  to  breed  from,  and  have  to  be  sold  off  barren,  they 
must  either  leave  a  considerable  deficit  to  be  deducted  from  their 
produce,  or  they  must  add  greatly  to  the  food  bill  whilst  making 
themselves  more  saleable  as  beef. 
To  go  back  to  the  labourer  with  his  one  cow.  The  wife,  if  she 
be  worth  calling  by  the  name,  will  do  most  of  the  work  of  feeding 
and  milking,  fetching  up,  turning  out  in  summer,  and  watering. 
This  work  if  done  for  an  employer  would  be  considered  to  be  badly 
paid  for  at  less  than  3s.  per  week.  AVell !  there  is  £7  16s.  earned  by 
the  wife — i.e.,  if  the  cow’s  produce  is  sufficient  to  pay  for  such  a  cost, 
and  it  is  in  this  that  we  can  see  the  chief  profit  from  a  cow  to  a 
cottager.  But  it  is  not  really  so  much  the  profit  from  the  cow,  as  the 
opportunity  given  to  the  woman  of  the  house  of  spending  her  spare 
time  profitably,  instead  of  wasting  it  in  idleness  or  gossip. 
If  the  cows  be  multiplied  indefinitely,  however,  and  dairy  farming 
be  set  up  on  a  large  scale,  there  cannot  be  more  than  a  reasonable 
workiug  profit,  or  every  farmer  in  England  would  soon  join  in  the 
industry.  For  instance,  if — No !  a  big  IF — a  labourer  can  keep  a 
cow  for  £10  per  annum,  can  a  farmer  keep  100  cows  for  £1000  r 
We  trow  not.  Will  any  of  our  agricultural  friends  keep  cows  for  us 
at  that  price,  making  good  all  losses,  as  well  as  finding  food  and 
attention  ?  -  • 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
We  have  had  some  splendid  rains  during  the  last  week,  quite  enough 
for  present  wants,  and  we  are  now  rejoicing  in  brilliant  sunshine  and  a 
rising  barometer.  Everywhere  can  be  heard  the  rattle  of  the  grass 
mower,  and  we  have  not  yet  seen  a  scythe  swinging  this  season.  Few 
English  labourers  can  use  one,  and  very  few  care  to  do  so. 
Clover  and  grass  might  grow  a  little  more,  but  if  a  dry  spell  set  in  the 
growth  will  soon  change  to  seeding  and  ripening,  so  we  had  better  make 
hay  whilst  the  sun  shines,  and  not  risk  a  very  decent  crop  for  the  sake  of 
a  little  more  bulk  of  doubtful  value. 
The  last  Turnips  must  be  sown  at  once.  The  Turnip  may  be  sown 
successfully  on  warm  soils  as  late  as  July  12th,  but  as  a  rule  every  day 
that  we  encroach  on  that  month  means  a  little  deduction  from  the  certain 
prospect  of  a  crop. 
The  increasing  presence  of  Foalsfoot  has  compelled  us  to  have  recourse 
to  a  bare  fallow  in  one  field.  It  is  a  peaty  surface  soil,  but  there  is  plenty 
of  strong  clay  just  below.  We  are  not  using  the  drag  or  harrow  at  all, 
simply  ploughing  at  three-week  intervals,  going  about  half  an  inch  deeper 
each  time.  AVe  plough  with  chilled  ploughs,  but  take  care  not  to  take 
too  wide  a  furrow. 
Two  blazing  hot  days  have  brought  the  Wheat  into  full  bloom  ;  there 
is  abundance  of  straw,  and  a  continuance  of  sunshine  is  all  that  is  required 
to  bring  us  a  really  fine  crop.  Every  week  the  Wheat  crop  stands  out 
more  prominently  as  the  cereal  crop  of  the  year. 
Second  early  Potatoes  are  doing  well.  Some  Elephants  have  been 
seen  to-day  as  large  as  hen’s  eggs.  This  is  very  good  for  the  last  day  of 
June,  and  not  in  an  early  district. 
Grass  pastures  keep  very  good,  but  seeds  have  gone  off  ;  still  there  is 
plenty  of  keeping.  We  have  singled  the  Mangold  ;  they  are  doing  well 
now,  but  have  not  made  the  progress  that  they  might  have  done.  Frosty 
nights  and  cold  winds  do  not  suit  young  Mangold. 
It  will  soon  be  time  to  wean  the  lambs.  There  is  little  to  be  gained 
by  keeping  them  wi:.h  the  dams  too  long.  AVe  have  noticed  that  hand- 
reared  lambs  rarely  fall  victims  to  scour  and  similar  disorders,  and  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is  beat  to  have  lambs  well  weaned  and 
settled  down  to  finding  their  own  living  before  the  difficult  month  of 
August  comes  in. 
METEOROLOGICAL  OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden  Square,  London. 
Lat.  51°  32'  40"  N.;  Long.  0°  8'  0"  4V.;  Altitude  111  feet. 
Date. 
9  A.M. 
In  the  Day. 
g 
*ce 
P5 
1898. 
J  une 
and 
July. 
Barometer 
at  32°,  and 
Sea  Level 
Hygrometer 
' 
Direc¬ 
tion  of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of  soil 
at 
1  foot 
Shade Tern, 
perature. 
Radiation 
Tempera¬ 
ture. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun 
On 
Grass 
inchs. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
inchs 
Sunday  . . . 
26 
29-540 
57-6 
52-0 
S.W. 
58-2 
63-2 
46-6 
105-6 
44-8 
0-062 
Monday  . . . . 
27 
29-481 
56  ”5 
54-0 
N. 
57-7 
64-9 
49-8 
115-7 
48-8 
0-068 
Tuesday  . . . . 
28 
30-025 
58-0 
52-2 
N.W. 
57  *7 
69-4 
50-2 
119-1 
50-9 
— 
Wednesday 
29 
30-054 
64-1 
55-2 
W. 
58-6 
75-8 
51-8 
121-9 
50-2 
o-oio- 
Thursday  . 
30 
,30-094 
61-1 
58-6 
S.W. 
60-9 
74-3 
57-3 
110-6 
56-9 
0  -0-22 
Friday . 
1 
30-235 
62-1 
53-7 
N.W. 
60-3 
72-4 
52-3 
119-9 
49-7 
0-219 
Saturday . . . 
2 
30  012 
63-3 
58-0 
N. 
61-1 
73-8 
57 ‘8 
119-3 
58-7 
29-963 
60-4 
54-8 
59-2 
70-5 
52-3 
116-0 
51-4 
0-381 
REMARKS. 
26oh. — Overcast  almost  throughout;  thunder  and  spots  of  rain  at  10.40  a.m.  p 
slight  shower  at  1.20  P.M. 
27th. — Cold  with  frequent  rain,  but  occasional  sun,  especially  in  the  afternoon. 
28th. — Fair,  with  frequent  faint  sunshine. 
29th. — A  pleasant  summer  day. 
BOth. — Overcast  morning,  with  occasional  drizzle  till  10  a.m.  ;  some  sunshine  iu 
afternoon,  and  a  shower  at  4  P.M. 
1st. — Fine  and  generally  sunny  day  ;  rainy  after  10  p.m. 
2nd. — Rainy  till  7  a.m.  ;  alternate  cloud  and  sun  in  morning  ;  bright  after  noon. 
Rather  a  drizzly  week,  warmer  towards  the  close. — G.  J.  Symons. 
