488 
JOtikNA  L  OF  HORTIOULTCRE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
^ovethber  30,  1899. 
germ  that  produces  the  complaint  must  be  killed;  lime  will  do  it, 
but  the  4  cwts.  per  acre  is  not  enough.  A  heavy  dressing  will 
cure,  but  will  also  kill  other  advantageous  soil  organisms.  This 
state  of  things  must  be  met  by  a  dressing  applied  at  twice.  One 
ton  of  ground  lime  must  be  ploughed  in  during  autumn,  and  another 
ton  added  when  the  land  is  worked  in  the  spring.  This  is  a  cure. 
The  Turnips  will  come  sound,  but  small.  With  the  lime  dressing  it 
is  advisable  to  avoid  dissolved  phosphates  and  use  undissolved* 
together  with  8  cwts.  kainit  and  1  cwt.  sulphate  of  sulphate  of 
ammonia. 
The  newest  and  most  approved  dressing  for  grass  land  is  basic 
slag,  a  bye  product  of  iron  and  steel  manufacture  ground  very  fine. 
Of  the  nature  and  advantages  of  basic  slag  we  cannot  write  to-day. 
it  is  a  subject  too  important  to  be  treated  at  the  fag  end  of  a  paper. 
There  is  applied  science  in  pnother  form  that  ought  to  be  of 
great  interest  to  the  farmer.  We  mean  the  researches,  not  the 
causes  affecting  dairy  work.  Dairy  work  cannot  be  carried  out  by 
rule-of-thumb.  There  is  a  why  and  a  wherefore  for  every  phase  of 
dairy  work  ;  there  need  bo  no  bad  butter  or  nasty  cheese.  No  milk 
is  now  “bewitched,”  no  cow  “overlooked.”  There  are  natural 
causes  at  work  to  account  for  every  phenomena,  and  it  is  by  applied 
science  we  detect  where  the  fault  comes  in.  No  body  of  men  should 
be  more  disposed  to  accept  the  proved  and  tried  work  of  scientists  than 
farmers,  and  as  a  body  they  are  awaking  to  the  value  of  such 
investigations  on  their  behalf. 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
Grain  prices  again  show  a  decline,  and  this  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
there  has  been  a  lull  in  the  thrashing  operations.  As  regards  Barley,  the 
slow  trade  is  caused  by  the  heavy  holdings  of  many  merchants  who  have 
never  been  able  to  get  their  hands  clear  of  the  supplies  with  which  they 
filled  them  in  September.  They  have  hung  like  a  cloud  over  the  markets, 
the  samples  shown  many  times  ovei  having  given  false  impressions  as  to 
the  supply. 
We  have  been  struck  by  a  few  remarks  made  at  Ipswich  by  Mr.  W.  J. 
Seals.  Speaking  of  Barley  growing,  this  gentleman  referred  to  the 
importance  of  properly  dressing  the  grain.  It  is  of  little  use  taking  pains 
with  the  thrashing  if  we  allow  the  Barley  to  be  damaged  in  the  granary. 
No  machinery  will  take  out  half,  split,  or  bruised  grains;  and  workmen’s 
heavy  boots,  running  barrows,  and  sharp  metal  shovels  are  answerable 
for  much  damage  of  this  description.  Canvas  boots  for  the  men,  rubber- 
tyred  running  barrows,  and  wooden  shovels  would  prevent  this,  and 
make  a  perceptible  difference  in  lhe  quality  of  the  delivery,  which  would 
bear  fruit  eventually  in  a  keener  desire  to  purchase  the  particular  farmers’ 
corn. 
e  have  had  only  slight  frost  followed  by  rain.  Common  Turnips 
are  still  in  proving,  but  Sw  edes  in  most  cases  are  hopeless.  There 
is  more  grass  than  there  has  been  since  June,  and  it  will  be  very  useful 
for  the  ewes,  which  will  have  to  go  very  short  of  roots  ;  a  day  or  two  on 
Turnips  once  a  week  will  be  all  they  will  get  until  mid-January,  with  the 
usual  result  of  a  healthy  and  fortunate  lambing  time.  The  ewes  must 
not  be  allowed  to  get  too  low  in  condition.  Failing  roots,  hay  or  cut 
straw  must  be  given,  the  latter  being  damped,  and  having  a  little  meal 
culms,  or  grain  mixed  with  it. 
There  is  plenty  of  ploughing  for  the  horses,  and  there  is  the  manure  to 
put  on  the  old  seeds  which  have  shortly  to  be  ploughed  down  for  Potatoes. 
It  is  time  this  was  done,  for  the  ploughing  should  be  completed  before 
Christmas  so  as  to  take  full  advantage  of  all  the  winter  frost. 
Since  the  Potatoes  were  lifted,  many  farmers  have  been  at  work  sort¬ 
ing  and  marketing.  A  fear  as  to  the  safe  keeping  of  some  varieties  has 
prompted  this  action,  which  has  helped  to  keep  markets  full.  Notwith¬ 
standing  this,  prices  for  sound  produce  keep  fairly  firm,  and  there  is  a 
good  prospect  of  a  rise  if  the  foreigner  will  keep  his  supplies  at  home. 
OUR  LETTER  BOX. 
Curing  Bacon  ( Regular  Subscriber), — There  are  many  ideas  about  bacon 
curing,  as  tastes  differ  greatly,  but  the  plan  we  have  adopted  for  years  is 
a  good  one.  To  every  block  of  salt,  finely  powdered,  add  1  lb.  ground 
saltpetre.  V\  hen  the  pork  comes  in  from  the  butcher’s  have  ready  in  a 
cool,  airy  place  a  long  scalding  tub,  put  in  it  a  layer  of  the  salt,  rub  each 
piece  of  meat  carefully  and  well  with  salt,  seeing  that  every  crevice  and 
crack  gets  its  share  ;  if  the  sides  are  iarge,  an  amateur  had  better  cut  off 
the  shoulder  pieces  and  salt  separately.  Cover  every  morsel  carefully 
with  halt  an  irch  of  salt.  Turn,  and  thoroughly  rub  once  a  week  for 
three  weeks,  or  better  still,  a  month.  Take  out  of  salt,  brush  well  over  to 
remove  any  salt  left,  dredge  with  flour,  and  hang  in  kitchen  or  other  warm  * 
place  to  dry.  Now  comes  the  difliculty.  Many  kitchens  are  far  too  warm, 
and  the  meat  gets  “  reasty  ”  as  well  as  dry.  Heat  and  air  there  must  be,  and 
according  to  the  size  of  the  joints  so  must  be  the  time  allowed  for  drying. 
A  practised  eye  can  tell  in  a  moment  if  the  bacon  is  fit  to  be  stored.  The 
meat  shrinks  down  from  the  bone  of  the  shoulder  and  the  ham.  When 
thoroughly  dry  it  has  been  our  plan  to  sew  closely  in  common  calico  bags, 
then  wash  over  with  lime  water  and  hang  in  a  cool  granary  or  other 
airy  place.  The  whole  success  of  good  bacon  depends  on  careful  salting 
and  cool,  airy  drying  and  storage  rooms.  Tons  of  bacon  are  spoilt  every 
year  by  close,  stuffy  surroundings.  It  is  absolutely  necessary  that  the 
pork  be  well  set — i.e„  thoroughly  cool  and  firm — before  being  laid  in  salt. 
Our  blocks  of  salt  weigh  about  three  stones. 
Destroying  Charlock. — We  have  received  a  circular  on  destroy¬ 
ing  Charlock  by  spraying  wiih  sulphate  of  copper  solution.  We  are  also 
informed  that  the  Herts  County  Council  supply  apparatus  and  solution, 
doing  the  work  for  the  farmers  with  good  results,  when  applied  soon 
enough,  which  is  when  the  Charlock  is  about  2  or  3  inches  high,  or  freely 
in  rough  leaf. 
North  Yorkshire— Bad  Prices  For  Lambs. — The  lamb  fairs 
have  been  held  in  most  instances  and  prices  have  been  down  Is.  a  head 
generally  for  half-bred  lambs,  2s.  for  twice  cross-bred  lambs.  The  scarcity 
of  Turnips  and  want  of  grass  is  the  cause  of  the  fall  in  price.  Many 
farmers  have  had  great  losses  from  sheep  being  struck  with  maggot.  It 
is  many  years  since  there  has  been  so  much  trouble  for  the  shepherds. 
During  hay  time,  when  all  hands  were  employed,  the  moor  sheep  suffered 
most ;  many  farmers  losing  several  sheep,  if  not  seen  every  day.  The 
great  heat  is  the  cause.  On  the  moors  where  there  is  no  shade  it  is  worst. 
— S.  (m  “Farmer  and  Stockbreeder.”) 
Conditions  Affecting  the  Raising  of  Cream.— It  is  a  well- 
known  fact  that  the  milk  yielded  by  some  breeds  of  cows  throws  up  its 
cream  much  more  readily  than  that  obtained  from  animals  of  other  breeds. 
The  larger  the  size  of  the  globules  of  butter  fat  contained  in  the  milk, 
the  more  rapidly  will  be  the  ascent  of  its  cream.  It  is  for  this  reason 
that  Jersey  milk  throws  up  a  great  “head”  of  cream  in  a  very  short  time 
in  comparison  with  that,  say,  of  Ayrshire  milk.  The  fat  globules  in 
Jersey  milk,  as  is  well  known,  are  a  very  large  size,  whereas  those  of 
Ayrshire  milk  are  comparatively  small.  Even  among  cows  of  the  same 
breed  there  is  great  difference  in  the  size  of  the  fat  globules.  In  the  milk 
of  some  cows  these  globules  are  cf  particularly  large  size,  and  rise  quickly 
to  the  surface  ;  in  the  milk  of  other  cows  they  are  correspondingly  small 
and  equally  slow  in  making  their  ascent  from  the  serum  or  watery  portion 
of  the  milk  in  which  they  are  suspended.  All  these  circumstances  exercise 
a  very  material  influence  on  the  rising  of  cream  when  set  in  shallow  pans. 
Anoiher  point  deserving  of  notice  in  this  connection  is  that  the  milk 
obtained  from  newly-calved  cows  throws  up  its  cream  more  readily  and 
more  rapidly  than  milk  obtained  from  animals  of  the  same  breed  which 
have  been  milking  for  several  months. — (“Irish  Farmers’  Gazette.”) 
Food  Supply  of  the  United  Kingdom. — At  a  meeting  held  in 
London  recently  a  paper  on  “Food  Supply  of  the  United  Kingdom, 
Belgium,  Francp,  and  Germany  ”  was  read  by  Mr.  R.  F.  Crawfi  rd.  In 
regard  to  the  United  Kingdom,  the  author  remarked  that  the  annual 
supply  of  Wheat  has  amounted  on  the  averages  of  recent  years  to  354  lbs. 
(or  5‘9  bushels),  of  which  78  lbs.  are  home-grown,  and  276  lbs.  imported. 
In  the  case  of  meat  the  consumption  approaches  130  lbs.  a  head,  of  which 
rearly  80  lbs.  are  home-grown.  Of  the  5  million  tons  of  Potatoes 
consumed,  only  4  per  cent,  is  foreign  grown.  The  annual  consumption 
of  milk  and  of  milk  products  in  this  country  is  equivalent  to  60  gallons 
of  milk  per  head,  and  36  gallons  of  this  are  produced  at  home.  We  grow 
nearly  80  per  cent,  of  our  Oats,  60  per  cent,  of  our  Barley,  and  50  per 
cent,  of  our  Beans  and  Peas.  Mr.  Crawford  concludes  that  we  import 
90  million  cwts.  of  feeding  stuff’s  for  the  production  of  our  meat  and  milk, 
and  this  imported  food  stuff  would  require  an  area  of  6  millions  of  acres 
for  its  cultivation.  Another  6  millions  of  acres  would  be  required  to 
supply  the  Wheat  of  which  our  home  production  is  short,  and  about 
11  millions  of  acres  to  produce  the  beef,  mutton,  and  milk  and  milk 
products  which  we  import.  The  total  of  23  millions  of  acres  he  compares 
with  the  actual  figures  of  the  country — 77f  millions  of  acres  of  land  and 
water  in  the  United  Kingdom,  of  which  only  47|  millions  are  under 
cultivation. 
Millet  as  Cow  Feed. — In  our  experience  with  Millet  of  all 
varieties,  and  also  including  Hungarian  grass,  they  are  more  generally 
used  as  feed  for  horses  than  for  cows.  The  Millet  is  allowed  to  get  too 
ripe  to  make  good  cow  hay,  as  its  stalks  after  the  seed  is  fully  formed 
lose  much  of  their  juiciness,  making  them  easier  to  cure,  but  also  lessening 
their  value  for  feeding.  The  late  cutting  of  Millet  for  horses  is  to 
secure  the  better  development  of  the  grain  Horses  are  very  fond  of 
Millet  seed,  and  like  it  best  when  quite  ripe  and  its  succulence  has 
turned  into  starch.  While  the  horse  will  fatten  when  fed  with  ripe 
Millet  it  cannot  be  considered  an  economical  ration,  as  after  devouring 
the  heads  and  some  of  the  leaves  most  of  the  stalk  will  be  left  in  the 
manger  uneateD.  There  is  a  greater  weight  of  fodder  to  leave  Millet 
until  the  grain  gets  in  the  dough  stage  before  cutting  it.  But  for  feeding 
cows  Millet  should  not  be  allowed  to  head  out  at  all.  It  is  not  so 
good  as  corn  stalks,  even  when  cut  as  hay  before  the  stalk  has  formed, 
provided  the  corn  6talks  have  been  allowed  to  attain  their  highest 
succulence.  The  superior  sweetness  of  corn  stalks  over  Millet  gives  them 
an  advantage  for  feeding  cows,  as  sugar  is  always  more  easily  digestible 
than  the  starch,  though  the  latter  if  analysed  may  show  an  equal 
nutritive  value.  In  practice  the  sweet  food  will  give  the  better  results, 
because  it  is  eaten  with  greater  pleasure,  and  therefore  digests  more 
readily. — (“  American  Cultivator.’’) 
