504 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Decern  he-  29,  1898. 
Again,  the  nosition  of  the  individual  farmer  is  not  what  it  was, 
and,  unfortunately,  economy  is  first  seen  in  the  cutting  off  of 
charities.  Then,  again,  we  almost  fear  the  art  of  frumenty  making 
is  a  lost  one.  It  was  good  and  luscious  ;  but,  oh  !  so  bad  for  weak 
digestions. 
A  walk  to  church  on  Christmas  morning  is  always  fraught  with 
pleasure,  be  the  weather  what  it  may.  There  are  kindly  greetings  to 
be  exchanged  on  every  hand,  for,  unlike  the  town  dwellers,  we  in  the 
country  know  intimately  everyone  of  our  neighbours,  and  there  is 
always  a  nice  sprinkling  of  young  folk  come  back  to  the  parent  nest 
for  the  holiday  season  ;  and  they  bring  fresh  life  and  interest  into  our 
midst.  The  bells  always  seem  to  ring  clearer  and  louder  borne  on  the 
Christmas  breeze,  and  we  are  not  distracted  by  the  brazen  clangings 
from  a  score  of  steeples.  Most  of  us  have  had  a  hand  in  the  bright 
decorations.  To  some  of  us  falls  the  care  of  cutting  the  evergreens 
with  a  judicious  hand,  so  as  not  to  spoil  the  beautiful  shrubs;  others 
weave  the  wreaths  ;  and  our  more  active  members  are  greatly  in 
requisition  for  decorating  those  parts  of  the  sacred  edifice  that  are 
inaccessible  to  petticoats. 
This  year  the  bright  moon  will  wait  on  the  footsteps  of  the  carol 
singers,  as  they  pass  down  the  silent  street  and  across  the  fields  to 
the  lonely  farmhouse,  waking  the  sleeper  with  the  glad  news  of  the 
Advent  of  the  King.  We  listen  with  joy  to  the  old  favourites,  sung 
to  the  old  tunes — some  of  them  so  old  that  no  printed  record  can  be 
found  of  them.  Our  hearts  are  softened  by  that  message  of  peace 
ringing  out  on  the  midnight  air,  and  we  determine,  if  God  in  His 
mercy  should  spare  us  to  join  in  another  Christmas  hymn,  that  the 
intervening  months  shall  be  better  spent  than  any  hitherto  have  been. 
We  forget  our  toils  and  anxieties  for  a  few  brief  hours,  and  we  emerge 
from  the  rest  and  quietude  better  and  wiser  men  and  women — at  least, 
that  is  our  hope  and  last  wish  of  the  vanishing  year. 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
The  last  week  of  the  year  finds  us  again  summing  up  the  work,  satis¬ 
factory  or  otherwise,  which  has  been  performed  during  its  course.  The 
general  dryness  of  the  year  has  been  in  almost  every  way  conducive  to 
economy,  the  exception  being  where  the  lack  of  rain  has  entailed  much  use 
of  the  water-cart.  The  spring  was  dry,  the  summer  was  dry,  and  the 
autumn  far  from  wet. 
The  dry  spring  following  a  fine  autumn  found  farm  work  in  a  very 
forward  condition.  Stubbles  had  been  well  autumn  cleaned,  and  little  more 
of  such  work  remained  to  be  done.  Spring  corn  went  in  well,  though  in 
some  cases  a  rather  free  use  of  the  roller  was  necessary  in  order  to  com¬ 
plete  a  satisfactory  seed-bed. 
A  low  labour  bill  obtained  until  May  and  early  Jane,  when  the  spring 
corn  having  been  checked  in  its  growth  by  late  frosts,  failed  to  compete 
successfully  in  some  cases  with  the  strong-growing  weeds.  This  entailed 
hoeing,  unusual  for  spring  corn,  and  we  came  across  instances  of  fields  in 
which  the  recently  sown  Clover  plants  had  to  be  hoed  up  and  resown. 
This  caused  serious  expense  in  seed  as  well  as  labour.  Generally 
speaking  the  hoeing  was  required  amongst  the  stolen  Barley  crops  where 
weeds  may  be  expected 
Excepting  this  extra  hoeing,  summer  work  was  done  cheaply  and  well. 
Never  were  Clover  and  hay  more  easily  and  better  secured,  in  fact  the 
hay  season  must  have  been  a  record  one  for  weather.  Work  amongst  the 
Turnips  was  equally  favourable,  and  this  brings  us  to  the  corn  harvest, 
which,  after  a  few  wot  days  just  at  the  commencement,  was  completed  in 
a  manner  almost  unequalled,  though  not  quite  in  record  time.  The  saving 
here  would  be  equally  shared  by  the  labourers  at  piece  work  and  the 
farmers  who  sail  near  the  wind  and  run  jisks. 
The  autumn  is  only  left  to  record  ;  a  long  spell  of  dry,  nay,  very  hot 
weather,  gave  every  opportunity  not  so  much  to  dispense  with  labour  as 
to  make  such  good  use  of  it  as  to  lay  the  sure  foundation  of  a  good  saving 
in  the  spring  and  summer.  After  September  damper  conditions  gradually 
assumed  sway,  and  farm  work  has  since  been  carried  on  under  the  usually 
alternating  conditions,  “  weather  samples,”  as  the  Yankees  call  them. 
On  the  whole,  whether  the  farmer  has  profited  by  his  crops  or  not, 
and  dry  seasons  do  not  suit  all  farms,  there  should  have  been  a  labour 
bill  under  the  average,  and  on  the  principle  that  money  saved  is  money 
gained,  this  should  have  helped  the  balance-sheet,  whether  it  be  a 
favourable  one  or  not. 
To  all  our  readers,  whether  they  have  profited  by  this  year’s  farming 
or  not,  we  wish  a  happy  and  prosperous  one  in  the  year  1899. 
PETITE  CULTURE. 
Lady  Warwick’s  Hostel  for  Women,  Reading. 
Despite  the  somewhat  discouraging  reception  of  the  Press,  the 
scheme  stated  above  has  made  an  excellent  start,  and  has  just  con¬ 
cluded  its  first  term  with  great  eclat.  The  formal  opening  took  place 
on  the  10th  inst.,  preceded  by  a  well  attended  meeting  at  the  Reading 
College,  presided  over  by  Lord  Wantage, Y.O!.,  and  terminated  by  a  reception 
and  at  home,  held  at  the  hostel,  by  Lady  Warwick. 
The  objects  and  aspirations  of  the  Society  were  excellently  set  forth 
in  a  paper  read  by  the  able  and  most  energetic  Lady  Warden,  Miss 
Edith  Bradley.  “The  hostel  had  been  founded  for  the  purpose  of 
enabling  educated  women  to  obtain  a  course  of  training  in  all  the  lighter 
branches  of  agriculture.  Reading  College  provided  the  theoretical 
instruction,  and  the  grounds  of  the  hostel  gave  ample  scope  for  practical 
work.  The  course  of  training  extended  over  two  years.”  The  fees, 
inclusive  of  all  tuition  at  the  College,  amount  to  from  £50  to  £60  a  year. 
In  compliment,  I  suppose,  to  the  four-course  system,  the  Warden 
suggested  four  paths  from  which  to  choose — 
1,  Some  might  wish  to  return  home  and  direct  the  cultivation  of  the 
home  farm  or  garden. 
2,  For  successful  students  there  is  little  doubt  that  posts  will  be  found 
as  County  Council  lecturers,  general  gardeners  or  specialists.  Grape, 
Orchid,  Mushroom,  Tomato  and  Cucumber  growers;  as  dairy  and  poultry 
women,  as  florists,  as  pickers  and  packers,  jam  makers,  fruit  bottlers,  and 
so  on. 
3,  Agricultural  settlements,  where,  for  those  who  have  small  incomes, 
cottages  will  be  built,  with  land  attached,  which  the  trained  women  will 
know  how  to  cultivate. 
4,  The  fourth  path,  of  course,  is  the  matrimonial  one,  but  owing 
to  the  surplus  million  of  women  this  cannot  be  largely  taken  into 
consideration. 
The  speeches  at  the  meeting  were  very  good,  and  the  whole  scheme 
received  with  respect  and  hearty  good  wishes.  At  a  former  meeting  it 
was  remarked  that  the  result  might  possibly  be  some  extra  excellent 
farmers’  wives,  but  on  this  occasion  there  was  nothing  irreverent. 
Certainly,  locally,  the  start  has  been  an  excellent  one.  The  hostel 
was  a  large  girls’  school,  so  adapts  itself  well  to  its  present  requirements. 
Twelve  ladies  are  already  in  residence,  a  number  which  next  term  is  to 
see  more  than  doubled.  The  universal  iron  horse  is  always  in  readiness 
to  carry  to  and  from  the  College  lectures  and  Dairy  Institute,  whilst  these 
cycling  days  make  also  easy  constant  visits  to  Messrs.  Sutton’s  experi¬ 
mental  grounds  and  other  agricultural  regions  connected  with  that  College 
department  which  is  under  the  able  and  active  direction  of  Professor 
Gilchrist. 
“It  is  hoped,”  says  the  Lady  Warden  again,  “that  this  will  expand 
into  a  Women’s  Agricultural  Bureau,  and  co-operate  with  the  Women’s 
Institute  in  London  and  the  Women’s  Employment  Bureaux  in  London 
and  Liverpool  in  helping  to  organise  and  direct  the  vast  army  of  women 
workers.” 
Lady  Warwick  remarked,  in  a  very  able  address,  she  thought  it  was 
pretty  generally  acknowledged  that  along  the  line  of  horticulture  and 
“  petite  culture  ”  women  could  run  as  successfully  as  men,  and  in  dairy 
work  they  superseded  men.  What  they  wanted  was  that  the  knowledge 
women  received  should  be  true  knowledge,  and  that  the  best  should 
be  open  to  them  in  so  far  as  they  could  avail  themselves  of  it. 
It  is  a  common  remark  that  when  a  new  thing  is  started  people  say  at 
first  that  it  is  absurd  and  impossible,  then  that  there  may  be  something 
in  it,  then  that  it  is  bound  to  be  a  success  and  they  always  thought  so. 
Lady  Warwick’s  hostel  has  already  arrived  at  this  second  stage. — A.  C. 
METEOROLOGICAL  OBSERVATIONS 
Camden  Square,  London. 
Lat.  51°  32'  40"  N. ;  Long.  o°  s'  0"  W.\  Altitude  111  feet. 
Date. 
9  A.M. 
In  the  Day 
1898. 
Barometer 
at  32°,  and 
Sea  Level 
Hygrometer 
Direc¬ 
tion  of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of  soil 
at 
Shade  Tern, 
perature. 
Radiation 
Tempera¬ 
ture. 
a 
c§ 
December. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
1  foot 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun 
On 
Grass 
Sunday  .... 
Monday  .... 
Tuesday  .... 
W ednesday 
18 
inchs 
30-204 
deg. 
52-6 
deg. 
51-2 
aw. 
deg. 
47-1 
deg. 
55-1 
deg. 
50-2 
deg. 
62 -S 
deg. 
47-0 
inchs. 
0-021 
19 
30 ' 138 
42-7 
41-2 
w. 
47-9 
46"2 
42-4 
58-6 
38-4 
20 
30-405 
34-1 
31  -6 
N.W. 
45T 
41-4 
32-3 
51-1 
27-3 
0-032 
21 
30'437 
39-9 
39-2 
N.E. 
43  T 
40-2 
33-6 
41-7 
2J-2 
— 
Thursday  . . 
?*? 
30-518 
35T 
35-1 
N. 
41  -9 
43-4 
32-2 
48-6 
fl'Q 
— 
Friday  .  * _ 
Saturday .... 
23 
30-478 
33-8 
31-1 
S. 
41-2 
40-9 
30-4 
49-6 
23  T 
— 
24 
30-402 
34-6 
32-4 
8. 
40-0 
43-8 
27  T 
44-5 
22-9 
1 - 
30-369 
39-0 
37-4 
43 -S 
44-4 
35-5 
51 -0 
30-5 
0-053 
REMARKS. 
18th.- — Mild  day,  with  much  bright  sunshine  ;  a  shower  at  6  P.M.,  and  overcast 
evening. 
19th.— Slight  rain  between  4  a.M.  and  5  a.m.  ;  bright  sunshine  from  10  a.m.  to 
sunset. 
20th.— Cold  and  clear,  with  bright  sun  all  day. 
21st.— Showers  in  the  small  hours  ;  overcast  morning  ;  faint  sunshine  from  1  P.M. 
to  3  p.m.  ;  fog  in  evening. 
22nd.— Fog,  thick  at  times,  till  11  A.M.  ;  sunny  from  noon  to  sunset. 
23rd. — Slight  fog  early  ;  sunny  day  and  bright  night. 
24th. — Overcast  throughout ;  slightly  foggy  early  and  in  evening. 
Much  colder  than  the  previous  week,  in  fact  temperature  near  the  average. 
Another  nearly  rainless  week. — G  J.  Symons. 
/  t, 
