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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
October  5,  1899. 
A  DANGEROUS  FOE, 
And  one  mcst  difficult  to  cope  with;  an  insidious  foe,  dangerous 
by  day  as  well  as  by  night,  though  night  with  its  darkness  en¬ 
hances  the  terror.  Every  year  brings  its  lists  of  farm  fires,  many 
accidental,  a  few  tl  e  work  of  enemies.  To  those  who  are  careful 
readers  of  the  daily  press,  the  fact  that  in  1898-99  fires  have  been 
very  much  more  frequent  must  have  presented  itself.  Some  of  us 
read  casually,  but  even  then  we  must  have  noticed  that  the  pro¬ 
portion  was  greater  than  usual.  That  there  has  been  a  reason  -for 
this  we  think  is  clear.  The  last  year  and  this  will  long  be 
remembered  as  periods  of  prolonged  drought,  and  the  drought  was 
not  a  summer’s  drought  only;  the  winters,  too,  have  been  unusually 
dry.  There  has  been  everything  to  encourage  conflagrations,  and  we 
regret  to  say  there  is  not  that  caution  manifested  among  farm 
employes  that  we  should  like  to  see. 
Of  course  careless  mothers  and  naughty  children  and  the  cheap 
match  must  come  m  for  their  proper  share  of  blame,  but  it  is  to  the 
responsible  hands  about  a  farm-steadiDg  that  we  would  address  our 
remarks.  (We  must  first  set  ourselves  right  with  our  readers  by 
observing  that  we  are  not  agents  for  any  insurance  company,  but 
we  follow  the  advice  we  fain  would  give,  and  insure  every  stick, 
stone,  anl  bit  of  stock  we  posses5.) 
It  has  always  been  said,  and  we  have  lived  long  enough  to  note 
the  fact  ourselve5,  that  a  fine  harvest  often  means  many  smoking 
stacks.  People  are  so  afraid  the  weather  may  break  that  they  will 
nut  allow  the  crops  sufficient  time  to  thoroughly  dry  and  mature. 
However  dry  grain  may  be  when  cut,  the  straw  has  still  a  certain 
amount  of  nature,  and  “  gives  again,'*  and  until  that  proper  time  has 
been  given  for  that  process,  it  is  most  unwise  to  stack.  In  what 
north  country  people  call  “slattery”  weather  the  corn  is  obliged  to 
stay  in  stook  and  the  danger  is  aveitc1. 
These  remarks  apply  equally  well  to  the  hay  and  Clover  civps. 
For  the  last  two  years  these  crops  have  practically  made  themselves, 
and  have  been  in  such  excellent  condition  that  the  veriest  spark  would 
set  all  on  blaze  in  a  few  moments.  There  are  few  sights  more  awful 
and  appalling  than  a  blazing  stackyard,  end  if  it  is  appalling  to  an 
outsider,  what  must  be  the  feelings  of  the  owner,  who  sees  the 
outcome  of  his  year’s  work  destroyed  in  a  few  hours  ? 
So  few,  very  few,  homesteads  have  anything  like  an  adequate 
water  supply,  and  possibly  the  fire-engine  procurable  from  the  nearest 
town  is  of  an  antiquated  pattern,  if  not  altogether  useless.  Should 
the  fire  occur  in  the  night  the  case  is  almost  hopeless  ;  fire  docs  not 
need  much  of  a  start  to  get  beyond  the  best  efforts  of  man,  and  all 
that  can  be  done  is  to  save  any  stock  housed  in  the  adjacent  buildings 
and  preserve  those  buildings  if  possible.  No  one  knows  but  a  farmer 
the  terrible  straits  he  would  be  put  to  were  he  called  upon  to  face  a 
winter  without  proper  buildings.  It  would  in  many  places  be 
absolutely  impossible  to  get  accommodation,  even  of  the  flimsiest 
kind,  at  short  not:ce,  and  what  would  become  of  his  poor  stock  should 
the  -winter  prove  inclement  ? 
Liberal  as  the  insurance  office  may  be,  its  best  allowance  cmnot 
compensate  for  the  loss,  inconvenience,  and  trouble.  We  may  say 
the  same  about  the  loss  incurred  in  a  stack  fire.  Given  a  certain  sum 
of  money,  the  market  value  of  grain,  straw,  and  chaff,  where  is  the 
farmer  to  turn  to  find  a  market  where  he  may  buy  the  straw  and  chaff 
he  requires  daily  for  his  horses  and  beasts  ?  Certainly  for  straw  he 
may  get  peat  moss  litter,  but  that  has  to  be  carted  from  the  nearest 
station,  and  it  only  serves  the  end  of  bedding. 
For  stock  bulky  food  is  required,  the  Oat  and  Barley  straw  supply 
this,  and  are  most  valuable  in  the  bill  of  fare.  We  say  much  might 
be  done  to  minimise  the  risk  of  fire.  It  is  seldom  that  space  is  so 
scarce  as  would  appear.  There  is  really  no  neel  to  stack  all  the  corn 
in  one  enclosure.  When  there  is  great  bulk  of  straw  we  rather  advo¬ 
cate  stacking  in  the  fields;  it  saves  time  in  harvest,  and  you  also  have 
the  feeling  that  if  a  fire  should  break  out,  the  eggs  are  not  all  in  one 
basket. 
A  windy  threshing  day  is  a  source  of  danger,  personally  we  never 
thresh  in  rough  weather  if  wo  can  help  it.  It  is  desirable  that  the 
master  or  a  trusty  man  be  constantly  on  the  look  out  up  to  bed  time 
after  a  threshing  day — a  little  vigilance  may  save  many  thousands  of 
pounds  damrge.  It  seems  rather  hard  to  deny  a  tramp  or  possibly  a 
bond  fids  working  man  a  night’s  lodging  in  the  barn  or  stable,  but  it 
is  a  risky  business  at  best,  and  should  be  avo:ded  if  possible  We 
know  there  are  men  who  would  sneak  a  night’s  lodging,  hence  tho 
desirability  of  a  last  leek  round  at  night. 
The  elder  labourers  are  not  the  great  offenders,  it  is  the  careless 
lads  (horseboys),  who  seem  quite  indifferent  to  the  late  of  pipe  ashes 
or  a  half-consumed  match.  Nothing  but  a  severe  lesson  will  make 
them  think,  and  orders  cn  this  point  should  be  strictly  enforced. 
What  can  we  say  respecting  the  adequate  water  supply,  when 
there  has  been  a  shortage  for  two  years  or  more  ?  Stack  farther  from 
the  buildings ;  stack  less  closely  together ;  exercise  the  utmost  care 
on  threshing  days  ;  forbid  smoking  on  or  about  the  premises,  and 
keep  children  out  of  the  stackyard,  and  you  are  doing  what  you  can 
to  minimise  danger.  Above  all,  insure,  and  do  not  let  the  policy 
lapse  through  the  forgetfulness  of  pay-day.  The  officials  are  good  ; 
you  always  have  a  warning  when  the  time  is  near,  and  there  are 
agents  scattered  all  round,  possibly  one  in  your  own  village,  certainly 
one  in  the  market  town. 
We  ha\e  on'y  considered  fire  as  attacking  the  housed  produce- 
Those  \\  in  se  fields  abut  on  a  railway  line  have  to  contend  with  the 
danger  as  represented  by  flying  sparks,  and  that  is  a  real  danger,  as 
we  know  to  our  ccsfi  Many  of  our  leaders  will  recall  instances  they 
have  seen  this  summer  if  they  have  done  much  railway  travelling. 
When  from  seed  time  to  harvest  hardly  a  drop  of  rain  has  fallen  on 
a  Barley  or  Oat  crop,  it  does  not  need  a  pr.  phet  to  foretell  the  result 
should  a  breeze  drive  and  fan  a  spark  among  standing  corn  or  corn  in 
stack.  The  devastation  is  rather  like  that  worked  by  Samson  and  his- 
fire-branded  foxes. 
WORK  ON  TIIE  HOME  FARM. 
Although  there  has  been  no  heavy  rain,  we  have  had.  sumo  almost 
every  day,  unci  all  the  difficulties  caused  by  the  drought  have  passed  away 
As  a  fact  there  has  now  been  quite  sufficient  moisture  for  present  needs, 
and  more  work  could  be  got  through  if  we  were  to  te  favoured  with  two 
or  three  weeks  of  fine  autumn  weather. 
A  crop  of  Twitch  is  waiting  for  a  favourable  day  for  being  put  through 
a  fiery  ordeal.  There  is  not  enough  of  it  to  be  worth  carting  off,  and  it 
must  be  burnt  when  possible—  i  e.,  dry  enough. 
If  not  afieady  with  them,  ram9  must  be  put  with  the  ewes  at  once  ; 
the  latter  will  then  begin  to  lamb  down  about  March  5th,  which  is  early 
enough,  unless  fat  lambs  are  the  chief  object.  An  early  start  does  not 
mean  an  early  finish,  for  all  will  not  lamb  before  the  end  of  March.  The 
ewes  must  be  kept  in  a  thriving  state  during  the  next  month  if  a  good  fall 
of  lambs  is  to  be  secured.  Rape  and  Mustard  are  capital  food  for  the 
purpose,  and  if  hand  food  is  given  a  lit’ le  Barley,  say  J  lb.  per  head  per 
day,  will  bo  the  most  beneficial.  If  Rape  is  not  available,  Barley  stubbles 
that  are  well  planted  with  Clover  will  provide  a  goo  1  and  suitable 
pasture  j  but  avoid  old  bare  seeds,  e3pecially  of  two  or  three  years 
growth. 
It  is  too  cold  now  to  keep  working  horses  out  at  night  on  grass,  at 
any  rate  with  safety.  Instead  of  putting  them  into  an  open  field,  they 
can  be  turned  into  a  fold  yard,  where  there  is  a  good  warm  shed  well 
bedded,  and  we  know  farmers  who  sleep  their  hor=es  thus  all  winter,  and 
only  use  the  stable  for  cleaning  and  feeding  purposes. 
Close  attention  must  now  be  given  to  the  cattle  ;  a  cursory  glance  or 
two  will  not  bo  sufficient.  As  the  weather  becomes  cooler  and  cattle 
commence  to  assume  their  winter  coats  tho  appearance  is  apt  to  be 
deceptive,  and  the  animals  may  be  losing  their  good  condition  rapidly, 
while  still  looking  healthy  and  well.  The  yearlings  which  show  the  least 
sign  of  falling  off  must  be  brought  up  at  once  and  housed  at  night,  in  any 
case  having  an  allowance  of  hay  and  linseed  cake. 
On  breeding  farms  this  is  a  good  time  to  consider  the  condition  of  the 
whole  stock,  and  weed  out  «for  sale  those  animals  which  have  not  been 
paying  for  their  keep.  If  they  do  no  good  on  summer  keep,  they  will 
surely  not  pay  for  the  greater  expense  of  winter. 
