22 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  f>,  1899. 
took  the  place  of  Maidstone  for  the  ycnr  1898,  but  now  Maidstone, 
purified  and  wholesome,  has  claimed  her  turn. 
The  site  for  the  show  was  well  chosen.  Mote  Park,  with  its 
400  acres,  well  wooded  and  watered,  is  an  ideal  situation,  and  to  those 
who  wanted  a  day’s  outing  in  a  beautiful  country,  iirespective  of 
agriculture,  there  was  every  attraction.  From  a  financial  point  of 
view  we  cannot  say  so  much.  Set  juct  in  a  corner  of  England  with  not 
particularly  good  railway  facilities,  it  cannot  be  sut prising  that  the 
entries  were  not  so  large  as  usual. 
It  is  a  loner  cry  from  the  great  horse-breeding  districts  of  Yorkshire 
and  Lincolnshire  to  Kent,  and  good  horses  are  too  valuable  to  be 
subjected  to  over-much  cross-country  railway  travelling.  Then  too, 
except  for  London,  there  is  no  great  population  near  Maidstone,  and 
Londoners  as  a  body  do  not  care  much  for  agricultural  shows.  We  heard 
of  parties  leaving  London  by  quick  train  at  G. 30  A. M.  and  reaching 
Maidstone  at  10.  It  would  require  ardent  sightseers  to  do  that  twice. 
Our  Gallic  neighbours,  however,  took  advantage  of  their  opportuni¬ 
ties  and  came  across  the  silver  sea  in  considerable  numbers.  We 
wonder  what  pleased  them  most,  and  what  impressions  they  took  back 
with  them.  Naturally  the  horse  rings  came  in  for  a  great  amount  of 
attention,  but  the  exhibits  were  not  of  native  production.  Kent  is 
not  a  horsey  county.  It  has  its  specialities,  but  they  take  the  form  of 
Hops  and  the  Sussex  breed  of  cattle.  All  the  old  names  are  represented, 
and  the  judges  are  picked  men.  Of  course  the  verdicts  "were  not 
entirely  popular,  but  that  would  not  be  possible. 
One  -would  hardly  expect  to  see  many  Cleveland  bays  so  far  from 
home,  and  possibly  they  were  quite  novelties  to  the  good  folk  of  Kent. 
Hackneys  they  would  better  understand.  It  is  not  a  far  cry  to  Sir 
Walter  Gilbey  and  Elsenham.  It  is  amusing  to  see  how  the  majority 
of  the  hackney  sires  hail  from  Yorkshire,  that  grand  old  county  for 
horse  breeders. 
The  pretty  little  ponies,  too,  of  all  classes  came  in  for  their  share 
of  admiration.  These  horses  in  miniature  are  so  perfect,  and  look  such 
charming  playfellows  for  their  small  owners.  The  polo  section  is  of 
modern  invention  ;  they  are  quite  a  class  to  themselves,  they  must  be 
as  nimble  as  cats,  and  controllable  with  the  proverbial  silken  thread. 
After  the  hunters  we  always  admire  most  the  harness  classes. 
What  is  so  pleasant  as  a  good  well  stepping  nag  in  the  hands  of  a 
capable  driver  ?  What  pleasant  jaunts  one  pictures  through  sweet 
smelling  country  lanes.  There  is  no  mode  of  progression  so  charming, 
and  there  is  pleasure  to  be  had  equally  much  in  an  unpretentious  dog 
cart  as  on  the  box  seat  of  his  grace’s  coach — that  is,  provided  that 
the  horseflesh  is  of  the  right  sort. 
Large  in  bulk  and  in  goodly  numbers  of  grand  quality  came  the 
Shires.  No  motor  car  interferes  with  their  work  yet.  We  cannot  do 
without  our  woiking  horses,  whatever  we  may  do  with  our  pleasure 
horses.  We  may  walk  instead  of  drive,  cycle  instead  of  hunt,  but 
we  must  till  our  land  and  convey  our  produce  to  market  or  station  by 
horse  power.  After  seeing  these  grand  animals  at  a  Loyal  Show,  the 
man  is  surely  blind  to  his  ow-n  interests  who  returns  home  and  uses, 
without  fear  of  consequence,  the  wretched  sires  which  are  so  often 
found  travelling  the  country. 
That  the  Shire  Horse  Society  has  done,  and  is  doing,  a  great  work 
we  speak  confidently;  long  may  it  prosper,  and  it  will  prosper,  for  the 
right  set  of  men  have  taken  the  thing  up,  and  will  not  let  it  drop 
until  it  has  fulfilled  its  mission.  Clydesdales  and  Suffolks  take  a 
back  seat  where  the  Shires  come  in  ;  they  have  their  partisans,  and 
are  popular  in  their  own  counties. 
To  most  of  us  the  Shorthorn  and  Jersey  rings  present  the  greatest 
attractions  in  the  cattle  section.  We  cannot  quite  understand  why 
the  Shorthorn  Judges  could  not  get  on  without  a  third  party.  We 
thought  those  two  men,  Messrs.  Hutchinson  and  Stratton,  knew  all 
there  was  to  know  about  Shorthorns,  but  we  suppose  it  was  the  nicety 
of  their  judgment  made  them  anxious  for  a  third  opinion. 
The  Channel  Islanders  will  always  secure  their  full  meed  of 
admiration,  they  are  so  pretty  in  themselves,  and  produce  such  thick 
delicious  cream,  and  such  hard  firm  butter;  beside,  too,  they  were, 
comparatively  speaking,  on  their  own  grounds,  for  no  doubt,  however 
acclimatised  they  may  he,  the  southern  counties  suit  them  best. 
The  Herefords  and  Devons  always  look  so  calm  and  placid ;  vou 
think  of  pleasant  meadows,  with  slow  flowing  streams  and  big  Elms 
and  general  contentment.  Here,  in  Kent,  the  old  Sussex  “  Cherry- 
reds  ”  made  a  grand  display.  Originally  draught  oxen,  they  have 
been  improved  and  refined  till  they  have  reached  a  high  point  of 
excellence.  These  are  the  principal  breeds.  Time  fails  to  tell  of  the 
others,  all  good  and  valuable,  and  suited  to  their  own  particular 
districts.  Only  seventeen  classes  for  sheep  !  Did  you,  kind  reader, 
ever  realise  there  were  so  many  British  varieties  whence  to  draw  your 
supplies  of  mutton  and  woollen  garments  ? 
You  might  almost  think  yourself  in  Lincoln  at  the  April  fair,  so 
many  well-known  Lincoln  breeders  around — men  who  are  known 
throughout  the  civilised  world — men  who  have  woolly  representatives 
across  every  sea — -men  who  have  made  English  agriculture  what  it  is. 
For  our  own  eating  we  prefer  some  of  the  Down  crosses,  the  mutton 
is  smaller  and  the  fat  less  apparent.  One  would  think  there  was  no 
need  for  New  Zealand  mutton  or  lamb  after  seeing  the  exhibits  at  a 
Royal  show. 
The  show  yard  is  a  little  world,  and  when  all  the  live  stock  is 
inspected  how  many  days’  work  is  there  in  the  implement  sheds,  the 
stands  of  the  great  seed  growers,  the  dairy  appliances,  the  artificial 
food  and  tillage  exhibits,  and  the  1001  sights  of  more  or  less  interest 
that  surround  the  beholder  on  every  side  ?  A  week  seems  hardly  long 
enough.  It  is  with  difficulty  one  tears  oneself  away  from  the  working 
dairy,  to  spare  the  time  for  a  glance  at  Mr.  Ed.  Brown  and  his  poultry; 
to  see  the  bee  driving;  to  hear  the  clink  of  the  hammer  of  the  Har¬ 
monious  Blacksmith ;  to  attend  the  veterinary  lecture  ;  to  be  present, 
at  some  of  the  many  meetings  of  the  various  Societies.  A  man  has  to 
be  made  of  iron  to  get  all  in,  and  we  fancy  many  will  consider  the 
week  of  the  Royal  Show  presents  the  hardest  work  of  the  whole  year, 
with  a  good  bit  of  pleasure  thrown  in. 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
A  visit  of  a  few  days  to  a  friend  has  given  us  the  chance  to  inspect  the 
farming  of  another  neighbourhood,  with  its  different  methods  and  con¬ 
ditions  of  cultivation.  The  fields  are  not  absolutely  strange  to  us,  but  it 
is  many  years  since  we  saw  them,  and  we  find  great  changes.  Barley 
and  Oats  are  very  largely  grown,  the  latter  having,  to  a  great  extent, 
usurped  the  place  of  Wheat.  The  few  fields  of  Wheat  which  we  see, 
however,  are  looking  splendid,  and  much  better  than  the  Oats.  Barleys 
look  almost  too  well  in  many  cases,  and  will  not  stand  much  rain  in  the 
future  ;  as  the  soil  is  light  and  sandy  this  speaks  well  for  the  several 
occupiers. 
Potatoes  look  well  but  are  not  yet  earthed,  not  because  they  are 
not  high  enough,  but  on  account  of  the  pressure  of  other  work  ;  the  wet 
weather  in  May  postponed  the  Turnip  sowing,  and  the  necessity  to  get  the 
root  crop  started  has  caused  other  work  to  be  put  aside  as  long  as  possible. 
The  Swedes  have  come  up  wonderfully  well  and  regularly  ;  there  are  no 
signs  of  fly,  and  the  farmer’s  complaint  now  (and  he  must  have  one  of 
some  sort)  is  that  they  will  come  to  the  hoe  more  quickly  than  i» 
convenient. 
With  his  Potatoes  to  earth,  a  few  more  Turnips  to  sow.  Clover  and 
hay  to  cut  and  harvest  and  Swedes  crying  out  for  attention,  there 
does  not  appear  much  prospect  of  leisure  for  the  farmer  at  present,  but 
his  crops  look  well  all  round,  and  as  regards  the  particular  district 
referred  to  he  has  ample  reason  to  be  satisfied. 
He  has  the  usual  complaints  to  make  about  scarcity  of  labour,  of 
its  tendency  to  increase  in  price  and  decrease  in  efficiency  ;  neverthe¬ 
less  he  has  no  great  belief  in  the  value  of  self-binders,  thinking  that 
they  are  necessary  evils,  and  to  be  used  more  to  overawe  the  men 
than  for  any  real  direct  benefit,  and  only  to  be  brought  from  the.  shed! 
when  men  cannot  be  had.  He  is  full  of  anecdotes  of  disaster  to  string- 
bound  sheaves  in  wet  weather,  and  no  doubt  he  has  some  sound  reason  for 
his  prejudice,  for  what  may  suit  some  people  and  conditions  may  be  of 
little  use  to  others. 
The  verdict  as  to  the  spring  tooth  cultivator  is  a  very  different  one. 
Enthusiasm  is  the  only  word  to  describe  it.  Everywhere  it  has  super¬ 
seded  the  old-fashioned  P'Arcy  &  Bontall  drags,  and  the  latter  cou’d 
hardly  be  found  now,  except  in  the  blacksmith’s  rubbish  heap. 
Peas  for  pulling  are  a  staple  crop,  and  the  harvest  is  commencing. 
Women  with  their  children  earn  large  sums  by  the  pulling,  which  is  paid 
for  at  the  rate  of  Is.  to  Is.  fid.  per  8  stone  bag  according  to  the  abundance 
of  the  crop,  which  may  vary  from  forty  to  100  bags  per  acre.  Eclipse  is  a 
variety  largely  grown,  and  is  the  one  ready  for  market  now. 
METEOROLOGICAL  OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden  Square,  London. 
Lat.  51°  32’  40"  N.;  Loug.  0°  8’  0"  W.;  Altitude  111  feet. 
Date. 
9  A.M. 
In  the  Day. 
1899. 
June 
1  Barometer 
i  at  32°,  and 
|  Sea  Level 
Hygrometer 
Direc¬ 
tion  of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of  soil 
at 
Shade  Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Tempera¬ 
ture. 
fl 
*C« 
and 
July. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
1  foot 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun 
On 
Grass 
Sunday  . . . . 
25 
inchs 
30-183 
deg. 
60-4 
deg. 
63-6 
N.W. 
deg. 
60-8 
deg. 
70 ‘9 
deg. 
49-8 
deg. 
100-9 
deg. 
45-3 
inchs. 
0-010 
Monday  . . . . 
26 
30-21:; 
70-9 
65-3 
W. 
60‘8 
84-6 
58-9 
134-6 
54-3 
— 
Tuesday  . . . . 
27 
30-331 
70  •« 
63-9 
N. 
63-5 
74-9 
61-7 
118-2 
57-4 
— 
W  ednesday 
28 
.30-084 
64-9 
53-8 
E. 
62-8 
77-1 
52-4 
117-7 
48-2 
0-080 
Thursday  . 
29 
29-817 
05 -9 
59-3 
N.W. 
62!) 
77*8 
58*3 
126-1 
56-4 
— 
Fridav . 
30 
29-982 
04-7 
55  (1 
W. 
03*7 
75-1 
51 -6 
123-0 
46-9 
0-918 
Saturday. . . 
1 
29-534 
60-2 
57-1 
W. 
63-2 
70  -0 
53 -9 
121-5 
54-3 
0.220 
30*021 
65*4 
58 ‘8 
62-5 
75*8 
55*2 
121-2 
51-8 
1-237 
25th.— Overcast  clay,  with  occasional  slight  rain. 
26th. —  Sunny  and  warm  ;  rather  close  in  morning. 
27th.—  Sunnv  early,  and  at  times  after  ;  much  heavy, cloud  during  the  day. 
28tlr. — Cloud  and  sunshine  during  the  day,  and  spots  of  rain  once  or  twice; 
thunder  storms  in  evening  (not.  near). 
29th. — Generally  bright  and  sunny,  but  cloudy  at  times. 
30th.—  Sunny  morning;  generally  cloudy  from  noon  ;  rain  from  7  P.M.  to  mid¬ 
night. 
1st.— Rainy  till  4.30  a.m.,  and  thunder  storm  with  heavy  rain  at  3  a.m.  ;  windy 
day  with  showers,  and  bright  sun  at  times. 
A  fine Warm  week,  with  a  thunder  storm  in  the  early  hours  of  July  1st. — 
— G.  J.  Symons.  .  ,  \  . 
