October  19,  1899. 
348  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
mortality  among  infants  in  towns  need  not  be  put  down  to  unwhole¬ 
some  milk,  but  to  the  fact  that  they  are  usually  brought  up  on  no 
milk  at  all !  Wretched  starchy  substitutes  taking  the  place  of 
doubtful  Id.  milk. 
Taxation  presses  hardly  on  most  of  us,  but  we  think  the  land 
occupier  gets  the  heavier  end  of  the  burden.  We  know  at  least  that 
the  civil  rate  collector  is  ever  at  our  door  taking  toll  of  our  poor 
earnings.  We  think  we  might  be  let  off  a  little  of  our  burden,  but 
Parliament  has  its  hands  so  full  that  possibly  the  farmer  will  be 
“  shelved  ”  for  yet  another  session. 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
We  have  had  a  capital  working  week.  Beautiful  sunny  daj's  have 
succeeded  frosty  nights,  and  although  sometimes  the  sun  has  been  late 
in  breaking  through  the  fog  the  latter  has  generally  dispersed  by 
ten  o’clock  or  so.  It  is  grand  for  sowing  and  drilling  the  Wheat,  and 
farmers  are  hastening  to  make  the  most  of  it. 
The  frosts  are  warning  Potato  growers  of  the  approach  of  winter,  and 
they  too  are  making  haste  with  the  lifting  process,  for  they  remember  one 
or  two  20°  frosts  in  late  October,  and  once  bitten  twice  shy.  It  is  unfortu¬ 
nate  that  the  deservedly  popular  and  now  largely  grown  Up-to-Date 
variety  is  on  the  best  soils  in  a  very  green  and  vigorous  condition,  and 
many  of  the  older  and  more  experienced  farmers  are  taking  steps  to 
ripen  them  off  artificially  ;  to  do  this  they  are  pulling  the  tops  and  piling 
them  in  heaps,  for  they  are  too  green  to  burn  at  present.  By  the  time 
the  tubers  in  the  ground  have  fastened  their  skins  the  tops  will  be 
drier  and  easier  to  deal  with.  Up-to-Dates  on  good  soil  grow  so  much 
haulm  that  it  is  almost  if  not  quite  impossible  to  use  either  digger  or 
plough  amongst  them  until  the  haulm  has  been  removed. 
We  ourselves  do  not  like  lifting  Potatoes  before  they  are  naturally 
ripe,  but  it  is  a  choice  of  evils,  both  uncertain — the  risk  of  frost  injury 
versus  possible  loss  of  quality  from  premature  ripening.  We  should  be 
inclined  to  risk  the  frost,  for  if  we  escape  we  have  a  longer  period  of 
growth  and  consequently  a  heavier  crop,  apart  from  the  question  of 
quality  ;  but  these  older  heads  are  steadily  and  persistently  pulling  off 
off  tops,  and  they  are  almost  always  right  iu  the  long  run. 
Potatoes  are  taking  up  very  light  and  much  smaller  than  was 
expected,  and  they  will  see  higher  prices.  Reading  Giants  from  selected 
seed  are  said  to  be  the  best  crop  this  season. 
Sheep  are  now  generally  on  Turnips.  The  earlier  sown  roots  under 
the  influence  of  frost  and  sunshine  have  ripened  rapidly  and  are  quite 
ready  for  stocking,  but  they  are  poor  woody  things  at  best,  and  very  small 
Swedes  are  little  if  anything  better,  but  the  late,  i.e.  July  sown  Turnips, 
have  improved  marvellously,  and  will  be  the  best  crops  as  well  as  the  best 
quality.  There  we  have  another  commentary  on  the  speculative  nature 
of  the  farmer’s  business. 
Lambs  (i.e.  hoggetts)  are  doing  better  and  losses  are  comparatively 
small.  Care  must  be  taken  not  to  overflush  them  with  rich  foods,  which 
overheat  the  blood,  Clover  hay  no  doubt  is  valuable,  but  a  supply  for  the 
lambs  until  after  Martinmas  will  pay  better  thau  bought  artificials. 
Linseed  cake  is  safe  at  any  time.  Keep  the  ewes  well  now,  they  will  pay 
for  good  food  during  the  next  fortnight. 
LIVERPOOL  AND  DISTRICT  GRAIN,  ROOT, 
AND  FRUIT  SHOW. — Octobek  14th. 
The  North  Haymarket  is  always  a  great  feature  on  the  Show  day, 
and  too  few  gardeners  realise  how  much  they  miss  in  not  being  present 
at  so  interesting  a  function.  Here  can  be  seen  the  finest,  and  indeed 
every  variety  of  Potato  that  is  in  the  market,  Beets,  Cauliflowers, 
Carrots,  and  Parsnips,  grain  in  abundance,  and  connoisseurs  delighted 
and  eager  to  sample. 
Saturday’s  Show  was  indeed  splendid,  and  besides  the  Right  Hon. 
the  Lord  Mayor  of  Liverpool,  the  proceedings  were  graced  by  Lord 
Derby  and  his  son  (the  Hon.  Arthur  Stanley,  M.P.  for  the  Ormskirk 
Division  of  Lancashire),  and  many  leading  gentry  The  Lord  Mayor 
was  well  received,  and  in  declaring  the  Show  open  spoke  of  the  good  it 
was  doing,  and  a  large  community  like  Liverpool  could  not  too  clearly 
understand  and  appreciate  the  close  connection  there  was  between  com¬ 
merce  and  agriculture,  as  commerce  could  not  well  flourish  if  agri¬ 
culture  was  in  a  depressed  condition.  He  wished  the  working  classt  s 
had  remained  on  the  land  in  the  country,  instead  ofcrowding  into  the  tow  ns. 
Lord  Derby  met  with  a  splendid  reception,  and  after  a  careful  scrutiny 
■of  the  exhibits  he  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  every  support  should  be 
gi  ven  to  such  a  show.  The  farmers  of  England  had  a  great  deal  to  contend 
within  adverse  climate,  low  tariffs,  and  foreign  competition,  and  unless 
the  farmer  availed  himself  of  the  best  skill  and  the  best  appliances  he 
would  be  left  behind.  But  English  farmers  were  active  and  intelligent, 
and  they  would  be  prepared  to  meet  all  comers.  Shows  like  this  would 
prove  useful  to  them,  for  here  they  could  see  what  was  best,  and  profit 
by  the  lessons  they  received. 
To  deal  with  all  the  prizewinners  would  fill  the  Journal.  Such 
Potatoes  we  have  rarely  seen,  and  as  one  visitor  remarked,  they  were  in 
a  way  almost  preferable  to  flowers  and  fruit,  and  when  seen  in  such 
amazing  numbers  left  an  impression  not  easily  effa  ed.  All  green 
vegetables  were  capital  notwithstanding  the  peculiar  season,  and  the 
display  was  perfect.  Apples  large  and  brilliant  in  colour  were  in  abun¬ 
dance,  and  a  splendid  set  off  they  were  to  the  other  exhibits.  Pears  too 
were  well  represented,  and  all  those  who  are  acquainted  with  the  genial 
Mr.  Ben  Ashton,  gardoner  to  Lord  Lathom,  Lathom  House,  will  be  glad 
to  hear  that  in  the  midst  of  so  great  a  competition  he  carried  many 
notable  honours.  The  President  (Mr.  Robert  Bennett)  and  the  joint 
Hon.  Secretaries  are  to  be  highly  complimented  for  their  untiring 
energy. — R.  P.  R. 
Fen  Farmers  in  a  Fix,— The  dearth  of  rural  population  is  making 
itself  felt  among  the  Fen  farmers,  who  are  unable  to  obtain  sufficient 
hands  to  pick  Potatoes,  though  wages  have  been  repeatedly  advanced. 
Around  Spalding  a  man,  with  wife  and  family  assisting,  can  make  £2  to 
£3  a  week  Potato  picking.  At  Crowland  criers  have  been  sent  round 
for  female  hands,  to  whom  3s.  per  day  is  offered,  and  at  Holbeach  children 
are  receiving  2s.  6d.  per  day  to  work  in  the  Potato  fields.  Consequent 
upon  a  heavy  crop  farmers’  difficulties  are  accentuated. 
Scramble  for  Small  Holdings  in  Lincolnshire  The 
demand  for  small  holdings  in  the  southern  part  of  Lincolnshire  continues, 
notwithstanding  the  low  prices  which  obtain  for  agricultural  produce. 
Those  having  small  farms  to  let  experience  no  difficulty  whatever  in 
securing  a  tenant  ;  on  the  contrary,  they  are  frequently  inundated  with 
applications.  As  an  instance  of  this,  it  may  be  stated  that  one  estate 
agent  who  advertised  a  farm  of  20  acres,  received  no  less  than  sixty 
applications  for  the  place,  which,  it  is  anticipated,  will  readily  let  at 
42s.  an  acre.  Some  of  the  applicants,  says  a  northern  contemporary,  have 
even  offered  to  pay  half  a  year’s  rent  in  advance. 
Clover  for  Manure.— In  the  report  of  Dr.  Wm,  Saundersj 
director  of  the  Dominion  Experimental  Farms,  he  says: — “The  experi¬ 
ments  which  have  been  conducted  in  the  growing  of  Clover  to  plough 
under  to  enrich  the  soil  and  add  humus  to  the  land  have  shown  that 
Clover  cm  be  sown  with  Wheat,  Barley,  and  Oats  without  lessening  the 
grain  crop  for  the  current  year.  They  have  also  shown  that  when 
10  lbs.  of  Red  Clover  seed  is  used  per  acre,  sown  with  the  grain,  and  a 
fair  catch  is  the  result,  the  Clover  after  the  grain  is  cut  makes  a  vigorous 
growth,  serves  the  purpose  of  a  catch  crop  during  the  summer,  gathers 
a  large  quantity  of  nitrogen  from  the  air  and  stores  this  up  in  its  leaves, 
stems  and  roots  ;  that  the  roots  range  far  and  deep  to  gather  food,  going 
deeper  than  most  other  plants  can  go,  and  converting  considerable 
quantities  of  unavailable  plant  food  into  available  forms.  The  stores  of 
nutritive  material  so  gathered  are,  when  the  crop  is  ploughed  under,  of 
great  advantage  to  the  land  and  add  materially  to  its  fertility.  The 
experience  of  another  year  has  added  fresh  testimony  along  this  line  and 
confirmed  these  conclusions.” 
Are  Ferns  Poisonous  to  Stock  ? — This  is  the  question  suggested 
by  a  communication  which  appears  in  one  of  the  veterinary  journals 
over  the  signature  of  an  F.R.C.V.S.  This  gentleman  describes  the  loss 
of  a  bullock  from  poisoning  induced  by  the  consumption  of  Ferns,  though 
the  particular  Fern  which  caused  the  trouble  is  not  mentioned.  When 
the  affected  animal  was  first  seen  it  was  found  suffering  great  distress, 
largely  due  to  what  the  writer  describes  as  “cutaneous  hemorrhage.” 
As  a  result  of  this  hemorrhage  there  was  an  extensive  effusion  of  blood 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  larynx,  and  at  six  points  on  different  parts  of  the 
skin  drops  of  blood  were  found  oozing.  On  post-mortem  examination 
the  animal  showed  that  in  about  twenty  places  this  cutaneous  hemorrhage — 
that  is  an  escape  of  blood  through  the  skin — had  taken  place,  and  on 
removal  of  the  skin  several  blood  vessels  were  found  charged  with  a 
black,  tarry-looking  blood.  The  Ferns  are  said  to  have  been  consumed 
by  the  animal  because  of  the  scarcity  of  other  green  food  resulting 
from  the  severe  drought  in  the  part  of  the  country  in  which  the  accident 
took  place. — (“Farmers’  Gazette.”) 
Peat  Moss  Litter. — The  advantages  of  peat  moss  litter  are  now 
well  known,  and  its  superiority  over  straw  fully  recognised.  It  is  claimed 
for  moss  litter — 1st,  That  it  affords  drier  and  healthier  bedding  for 
horses  and  cattle  than  any  other  material.  2nd,  That  in  consequence  of 
its  great  power  of  absorbing  moisture,  it  binds  the  valuable  portion  of  the 
animal  excrements,  and,  consequently,  yields  the  best  manure.  3rd,  That 
it  acts  as  a  disinfectant  and  improves  the  air  of  the  stable.  4th,  That  a 
smaller  quantity  of  it  is  required  than  would  be  needed  if  straw  were 
used.  5th,  Dry  beds  and  dry  fresh  air,  free  from  ammonia — the  ceilings, 
walls,  and  trappings  remain  free  from  moisture  and  mould.  6th,  Moss 
litter  absorbs  eight  times  its  own  weight  of  urine,  whereas  straw  absorbs 
only  three.  If  properly  treated  moss  litter  is  far  more  elastic  than  straw, 
and  affords  more  comfortable  bedding.  From  a  veterinary  point  of  view 
further  advantages  are  observable.  Catarrhs  of  the  nose  and  eyes, 
generally  the  result  of  bad  air  in  the  stables,  are  less  frequent  ;  wounds 
in  the  legs  heal  more  quickly,  inflammation  very  seldom  occurs,  and 
rotting  of  the  frog  is  almost  entirely  prevrnted.—  (“  Irish  Homestead.”) 
Skim-milk  Excellent  Human  Food.— Skim-milk  contains  nearly 
all  of  the  food  value  of  the  original  milk,  with  the  exception  of  the  (at, 
and  even  this  may  be  present  to  the  extent  of  from  one-tenth  to  1  per 
cent.  It  contains  from  3'5  to  4  per  cent,  of  protein,  about  5  per  cent,  of 
milk  sugar,  and  0-8  per  cent,  of  ash  or  mineral  matter.  Its  chief  value  is 
as  a  muscle-making  food,  and  hence  it  is  of  great  value  to  growing 
children  or  labouring  people.  Its  economy  as  an  article  of  diet  can  best 
be  shown  by  comparing  it  with  other  foods.  Twenty-five  cents  will 
purchase  six  and  a  half  times  as  much  total  nutrients  and  five  times  as 
much  protein  in  skim-milk  at  2c.  per  quart  as  in  sirloin  steak  at  22c.,  or 
four  times  as  much  total  nutrients  and  three  and  a  half  times  as  much 
protein  as  mutton  shoulder  at  15c.  per  lb.  Or  3  quarts  of  skim-milk, 
worth  from  6  to  8c.  at  retail,  will  hold  more  total  nutrients  and  more 
protein  than  1  lb,  of  steak.  At  the  present  prices  the  only  common 
food  materials  that  will  furnish  more  protein  for  a  given  sum  of  money 
than  skim-milk  are  beans,  wheat  flour,  oatmeal,  cornmeal,  and  salt  cod. _ 
Prof.  C.  S.  Phelps  (in  “  American  Agriculturist.’ ) 
