December  1,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
430 
work  of  foddering  and  c'eaning  stock  in  saturated  entries,  and  in  boots 
that  never  really  get  dry.  It  is  wonderful  what  an  immense  quantity 
of  water  (soft)  may  be  collected  in  the  course  of  a  year  where  a  good 
(unleakable)  cistern  exists,  and  where  the  spouting  is  perfect.  And 
the  value  of  such  water  Is  inestimable.  It  is  free  from  contamination 
(if  the  roofs  are  swept  occasionally),  and  is  also  free  from  various  salts 
and  minerals  held  in  solution  which  so  often  exist  in  spring  water. 
Shallow  wells  are  a  great  source  of  danger,  and  now  that  steam 
and  wind  power  can  bo  utilised  at  such  little  expense  there  is  no 
excuse  for  their  existence.  Steam  and  wind  do  not  mind  the 
demand  made  on  them  for  hauling  up  water  from  a  greater  depth. 
We  have  lately  seen  two  excellent  examples  of  what  we  may  call 
wind  haulage.  The  water  was  there,  but  at  such  a  depth  that  the 
work  was  cruel  to  man  power.  The  windmill  is  erected  ;  the  supply 
is  constant,  and  the  expense  by  no  means  extravagant. 
We  have  been  much  interested  in  reading  the  account  of  Lord 
Spencer’s  scheme  for  supplying  the  villages  of  Great  and  L'tt le 
Brington  in  Northamptonshire  with  water  by  means  of  wind-power 
pumps.  The  inhabitants  number  about  GOO,  and  the  stock  in  the 
fields  in  summer  require  about  1000  gallons  per  day.  By  means  of 
this  pump  and  a  reservoir  this  water  is  easily  supplied,  and  with  a 
great  reserve  to  meet  any  possible  deficit.  The  windmill  works  day 
and  night,  and  so  takes  advantage  of  the  slightest  breeze.  When 
there  is  a  reserve  of  120,000  gallons  in  the  reservoir  the  minds  of  all 
connected  with  the  scheme  must  be  very  easy. 
The  cost  of  supervision  comes  to  Is.  6d.  per  week,  and  a  small 
charge  of  2d.  per  week  for  cottages  and  £2  per  annum  for  farm 
and  other  houses,  to  which  water  is  laid  on,  will  help  to  pay  the 
interest  on  the  money  sunk  in  the  scheme.  The  cost  of  well-sinking, 
the  reservoir,  the  wind  engine,  the  iron  piping  required,  amounted  to 
£2250,  and  the  writer  goes  on  to  state  that  by  enlarging  the  diameter 
of  the  wind  engine  the  pumping  capacity  could  be  so  increased  as  to 
afford  a  water  supply  to  at  least  two  adjoining  villages, 
We  read  this  in  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society’s  Journal  for 
June,  1897;  and  in  the  number  of  the  same  publication  for  the 
September  of  this  year  we  read  of  a  similar  experiment — and  a 
successful  one,  too — on  the  estate  of  Lord  Yarborough,  a  Lincolnshire 
magnate.  To  those  who  know  the  high  wolds,  and  the  immense  diffi¬ 
culty  there  is  often  experienced  there  for  want  of  an  adequate  water 
supply,  the  subject  is  of  the  greatest  interest.  In  Iced,  we  say  whtre 
is  it  not  of  interest  ?  and  what  has  been  done  in  one  place  might 
easily  be  tried  in  another. 
On  the  Limber  estate  in  Lincolnshire  an  engine  has  been  erected 
at  the  cost  of  £78  11s.  6d.  for  use  in  case  the  wind  supply  fails.  The 
reservoir  in  this  case  has  not  the  capacity  of  that  in  Brington  parish. 
We  do  not  quite  know  how  far  the  Parish  Councils  may  reach,  but  we  do 
think  some  water  scheme  on  the  lines  indicated  might  be  a  never- 
dying  memorial  to  the  fathers  of  many  a  parish.  In  the  Limber  case 
the  expenses  are  met  and  interest  on  money  found  by  a  4d.  rate. 
A  little  private  enterprise  on  the  part  of  the  landowner,  with  a  rate 
laid  by  the  Parish  Council,  and  the  deed  would  le  done.  We  have 
very  little  doubt  that  after  the  fcheme  has  been  tried  in  one  or  two 
places  experience  will  be  gained — an  experience  that  would  most 
probably  lessen  the  expenses  of  construction,  though  expenses  of 
working  could  hardly  be  made  smaller. 
P.S. — Since  writing  the  above  wo  read  the  following  in  a  well- 
known  agricultural  paper : — “  Up  to  some  weeks  ago,  and  for  many 
years,  I  have  had  to  cart  water  Lr  my  cows  and  threshing-engine, 
often  1500  gallons  per  day.  Now,  thanks  to  my  landlord,  I  have  got 
one  of  Roberts’  windmills.  It  works  well,  and  keeps  me  more  than 
supplied. — B.” 
“  B.”  is  a  personal  friend,  and  we  know  what  his  gain  is. 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
Farmers  who  hold  a  heavy  head  of  cattle  would  do  well  to  make  safe 
their  moderate  crop  of  Swedes  by  lifting  and  storing  them  either  in  large 
or  small  heaps.  We  prefer  to  store  our  Swedes  in  one  big  long  heap. 
They  are  easier  to  protect  from  frost ;  for  a  few  loads  of  stubble  will  go 
much  further  on  one  large  pile  than  on  a  number  of  small  ones. 
Another  advantage  is  that  the  land  from  which  they  have  been  drawn 
can  be  all  ploughed  and  left  open  to  the  influence  of  frost,  which  cannot 
be  done  when  there  are  numerous  heaps  of  roots  left  on  the  land. 
Mangold  and  Potato  pies  may  now  be  entirely  closed  ;  the  natural 
sweat  or  heating  will  now  have  subsided,  and  soil  must  be  put  all  over  the 
heaps,  thoroughly  covering  every  part. 
Cattle  are  now  all  well  housed,  and  are  in  a  very  healthy  thriving 
state.  There  being  plenty  of  straw  this  year,  care  must  be  taken  that  the 
animals  are  made  comfortable,  for  though  the  north  country  proverb  that 
“  fat  goes  in  at  the  mouth”  may  be  quite  true,  it  is  also  necessary  that  no 
waste  of  heat  should  occur  if  it  can  be  helped,  for  heat  and  fat  are- 
synonymous  as  regards  feeding  animals.  Coals  being  cheap  it  is  an  open 
question,  and  one  worth  considering,  whether  the  artificial  heating  of 
cow-byres  might  not  prove  an  economical  success  in  very  cold  weather. 
The  snow-storm  over  a  great  extent  of  country  should  warn  us  that 
winter  is  near,  and  that  possibly  in  a  week  or  two  the  soil  may  be  frost- 
bound  and  ploughing  impossible.  One  winter  severe  frost  set  in  oa 
December  6th,  and  on  another  occasion  December  12th,  so  we  must  not 
delay  longer  any  ploughing  that  is  still  to  do. 
We  have  heavily  mucked  a  piece  of  lea  for  next  year’s  Potato  crop  ; 
this  must  be  ploughed  down  before  Christmas,  or  rather  before  winter  ; 
so  with  two  other  fallow  fields  still  to  plough,  we  shall  not  be  short  of 
work. 
An  accumulation  of  horse  manure  has  been  removed  and  placed  upon 
a  large  heap  of  twitch  and  stubble  ;  the  whole  will  shortly  be  turned  and) 
thoroughly  mixed.  The  heat  of  the  muck  should  help  the  decomposition  of 
the  other  matter  and  make  it  both  a  safe  and  useful  compost  for  Swedes 
next  summer. 
OUR  LETTER  BOX. 
Bacon-curing  ( Morning  C'.o-jd). — We  answer  your  letter,  though  your 
have  not  complied  with  our  stipulations  in  withholding  your  name  and 
address.  (See  page  427.)  A  good  old  farmhouse  style  of  bacon-curing 
which  has  been  practised  for  generations  is  this  :  When  the  meat  is 
properly  cooled  and  cut  into  suitable  pieces  (wo  always  divide  the  sides, 
taking  the  shoulders  well  oS),  it  is  placed  in  a  large  salting  tub,  on  the 
bottom  of  which  i3  laid  a  layer  of  salt  and  saltpetre.  The  meat  is  covered 
entirely  with  the  same,  carefully  rubbed  in  to  every  depression.  The  meat 
should  be  turned  and  rubbed  every  few  days  for  at  least  three  weeks,  when 
it  is  next  wiped  clean  and  hung  in  a  kitchen  to  dry.  For  a  30  stone  pig 
wo  use  stones  salt  and  1  lb.  of  saltpetre.  We  could  have  given  you  a 
reference  to  a  description  of  bacon-curing  in  factories  had  you  sent  your 
address,  and  we  will  give  it  still  if  you  like  to  send  a  stamped  directed 
envelope  for  the  purpose. 
Root  Competition. — The  competition  held  annually  in  various 
parts  of  the  country  in  Swedes  and  Mangolds  by  Messrs.  Webb  &  Sons  of 
Wordsley,  has  this  year  been  very  successful,  and  brought  to  light  some 
heavy  crops.  Taking  the  average  of  the  weight  of  Swedes  in  the  thirteen 
districts,  we  find  a  yield  of  about  33  tons  per  acre,  the  record  being 
41  tons  17  cwt.  per  acre,  produced  by  Mr.  W.  Clark,  Shawhill,  Monkton, 
Ayr,  N.B.  The  Mangolds  averaged  55J  tons  per  acre,  with  75  tons 
13  cwt.  as  the  heaviest  crop.  This  was  grown  by  Mr.  W.  Baker,  Forest 
Farm,  Whitchurch,  Cardiff. 
METEOROLOGICAL  OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden  Square,  London. 
Lat.  51°  32'  40"  N.;  Long.  0°  8'  0"  W.;  Altitude  111  feet. 
Date. 
9  A.M. 
In  the  Day. 
1898. 
November. 
Barometer 
at  32°,  and 
Sea  Level 
Hygrometer 
Direc¬ 
tion  of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of  soil 
at 
Shade  Tem. 
perature. 
Radiation 
Tempera¬ 
ture. 
fl* 
‘S' 
P 3 
Dry. 
Wet. 
1  foot 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun 
On 
Grass 
Sunday  ....  20 
Monday  ....  21 
Tuesday  ....  22 
W  ednesday  23 
Thursday  . .  24 
Friday .  25 
Saturday....  26 
inchs 
30-179 
deg. 
45-8 
deg. 
43-5 
W. 
deg. 
48-0 
deg. 
49-3 
deg. 
42-8 
deg. 
51-8 
deg. 
33-0 
inchs. 
0-051 
30-088 
47-1 
46-9 
E. 
47-8 
47-2 
45-4 
49-0 
36-8 
0-340 
30-068 
35-2 
32-9 
N. 
46-1 
40-1 
34-9 
64-8 
30-0 
0-012 
29-434 
38-3 
37  0 
S.E. 
43-8 
41-1 
27-3 
41-4 
21-9 
0-127 
28-978 
40-7 
40  T 
E. 
43-6 
461 
36-8 
46-6 
35.-9 
0-243- 
28-824 
45-7 
45-1 
S. 
44-3 
50-3 
41-8 
66-9 
37-1 
0-556 
28-998 
43-6 
43-4 
N.E. 
44-7 
45-5 
41  -2 
47-5 
330 
0-095 
29-510 
42-3 
41-3 
45-5 
45-7 
38-6 
52-6 
32-5 
1-424 
REMARKS. 
20 uh.—  Overcast  throughout,  with  spots  of  rain  in  morning. 
21s f. — Overcast  early  ;  steady  rain  from  10  a.m.  to  5.30  p.m.  ;  windy,  clear  night.. 
22nd.— Bright  sun  from  sunrise  to  sunset ;  clear,  cold  night. 
23rd.—  Dull,  with  almost  continuous  slight  rain  from  early  morning  to  5  p.m.,  and 
damp  after. 
21th  — Rain  from  1  a.m.  to  6  a.m.,  dull  and  damp  after,  with  frequent  slight 
rain. 
25th.— Rainy  from  1  A.M.  to  5  a.m.,  and  from  7.15  A.M.-to  11  A.M.  ;  generally  sunny 
from  11  a.m.  to  2  p.m.,  then  alternate  showers  and  clear  skies. 
26th.— Heavy  rain  till  1  a.m.,  and  almost  incessant  slight  rain  till  9  p.m. 
A  wet  and  cold  week,  with  low  barometer  during  the  last  three  days.— G.  .1- 
Symons. 
