534 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
December  14,  1899. 
what  mischief  theyjcan  do.  We  have  seen  many  a  field  of  Wheat  abso¬ 
lutely  ruined.  The  worst  points  about  the  matter  are  that  tenting  is  op 
little  use,  and  the  birds  are  not  our  summer  songsters,  but  immigrants 
from  abroad  that  have  recently  arrived. 
Potatoes  are  being  moved  off  pretty  freely  where  the  hands  are  avail¬ 
able  for  the  necessary  sorting  prooess.  The  machine  riddles  are  invalu¬ 
able,  nay,  almost  indispensable.  Buyers  highly  approve  of  their  use,  for 
the  samples  made  by  them  are  so  much  more  even  and  reliable  than  those 
sorted  by  hand.  Disease  is  very  prevalent,  and  quality,  i.e.,  cooking 
quality,  far  from  good,  Pew  samples  will  pass  muster  when  cooled  down 
after  cooking. 
The  entries  of  fat  stock  for  the  Christmas  markets  are  very  small 
indeed,  and  there  is  every  prospect  of  high  prices  being  realised  ;  8d.  per  lb. 
will  almost  certainly  be  obtained  for  good  beef.  Foreign  arrivals  are 
light,  and  high  prices  are  being  asked. 
IMPROVEMENT  OF  LAND  ACT,  1899. 
(62  &  63  Yict.  c.  46.) 
The  Board  of  Agriculture  desire  to  call  attention  to  the  provisions  of 
the  Improvement  of  Land  Act,  1899,  which  comes  into  operation  on  1st 
January,  1900.  This  Act  has  been  passed  with  a  view  to  give  increased 
facilities  to  owners  of  land  desirous  of  carrying  out  agricultural  and  other 
improvements  with  the  aid  of  borrowed  money.  With  this  object  the  new 
Statute  amends  the  Improvement  of  Land  Act,  1864,  and  other  Acts 
authorising  the  creation  of  rentcharges  for  the  improvement  of  land. 
Under  the  new  Act  the  maximum  period  over  which  rentcharges 
authorised  after  the  commencement  of  the  Act  may  be  allowed  to  extend 
is  forty  years.  It  must  not,  however,  be  assumed  that  the  full  term  will 
always  be  applicable.  The  period  to  be  allowed  in  each  case  will  be 
determined  by  the  Board,  regard  being  had  to  the  character  and  probable 
duration  of  the  improvement. 
By  another  provision  the  land  charged  with  the  payment  of  the  rent- 
charge  may  be  land  other  than  that  which  is  directly  improved  ;  provided 
(a)  that  such  other  land  is  shown  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Board,  by 
statutory  declaration,  to  be  held  for  the  same  estates  or  interests,  and  to 
be  either  subject  to  the  same  incumbrances  (if  any)  or  to  be  free  from 
incumbrances  ;  and  (6)  that  in  the  opinion  of  the  Board  such  other  land 
may  properly  be  included  in  the  charge. 
Improvement  Companies  are  empowered  (by  resolution  passed  by 
three-fourths  of  their  shareholders  present  at  an*  extraordinary  meeting) 
to  adopt,  as  improvements  authorised  by  their  own  special  Acts,  all  or  any 
of  the  improvements  authorised  by  the  Improvement  of  Land  Act,  1864, 
or  by  any  enactment  amending  it. 
The  Board  of  Agriculture  are  empowered  to  extend  the  period  of  re¬ 
payment  of  improvement  charges  created  (whether  before  or  after  the  pass¬ 
ing  of  the  Act)  in  respect  of  the  planting  of  woods  or  trees,  on  application 
made  by  the  landowner,  not  sooner  than  seven  and  not  later  than  ten 
years  from  the  date  of  the  Order  creating  the  charge,  but  subject  to  the 
consent  of  the  persons  entitled  to  the  charge. 
The  new  Act  extends  to  Scotland  certain  additional  improvements 
already  authorised  as  regards  England  and  Wales  and  Ireland  by  the 
Limited  Owners  Residences  Acts,  1870  and  1871;  the  Limited  Owners 
Reservoirs  and  Water  Supply  Further  Facilities  Act,  1877  ;  Sections  30 
and  25  of  the  Settled  Land  Act,  1882  ;  Section  13  of  the  Settled  Land  Act, 
1890  ;  and  Section  74,  sub.-v.  (1)  (6)  of  the  Housing  of  the  Working 
Classes  Act,  1890. —  The  Secretary,  Board  of  Agriculture,  4,  Whitehall  Place, 
London ,  S.  W. 
OUR  LETTER  BOX. 
Curing  Hams  for  Smoking  (./.  B.,  Berks). — This  is,  perhaps,  the 
recipe  that  you  once  copied  out  of  this  Journal,  but  now  lost : — “For  a 
ham  of  20  lbs.  make  a  pickle  with  2  lbs.  of  salt,  3  ozs.  saltpetre,  3  ozs 
bay  salt,  3  ozs.  shallots.  1  oz.  coriander  seed,  1  oz.  juniper  berries,  4  lbs. 
treacle,  and  ^  lb.  of  beef  suet  Use  enough  water  to  cover  the  hams,  keep 
them  in  pickle  for  a  month,  then  smoke  them  for  a  month.’1  Some  persons 
consider  hams  so  prepared  delicious,  others  prefer  them  plain  cured  and 
not  smoked. 
Applied  Science  ( Constant  Reader).— YLarA  and  fast  rules  as  to  profitable 
manuring  are  of  no  use.  What  suits  one  crop  may  not  suit  another 
besides  which  the  mechanical  condition  of  the  soil  and  its  cleanliness  or 
otherwise  may  make  all  the  difference  between  individual  cases.  Farm¬ 
yard  manure  is  valuable  and  a  great  restorer  of  fertility  to  poor  land, 
and  no  farmer  should  despise  it  when  readily  available,  but  if  British 
agriculture  had  gone  without  the  assistance  of  artificials  for  the  last 
twenty  years  we  fear  it  would  have  collapsed  altogether.  Artificials  have 
never  been  more  than  useful  adjuncts,  substitutes  only  in  extreme  cases. 
Uive  your  Wheat  and  Beans  3  cwt.  of  superphosphate  per  acre  early  in 
February,  and  give  the  Wheat  1  cwt.  per  acre  of  nitrate  of  sodajand  2  cwts. 
per  acre  common  salt  mixed  together  early  in  April. 
Cow-house  Space  (Reader). — If  you  had  been  able  to  give  the  date  of 
the  article  to  which  you  refer  we  should  comply  with  your  request  with 
pleasure.  I  here  has  (with  justice)  been  much  talk  of  over-crowded 
cow-houses,  and  some  local  authorities  are  insisting  that  each  cow  shall 
have  800  cubic  feet.  This  to  us  appears  far  too  much,  and  would 
necessitate  tremendous  expense.  Primrose  McConnell  says  that  600,  or 
even  400,  cubic  feet  is  quite  enough  for  health  purposes.  A  cow-house 
should  be  airy  but  not  draughty,  and  should,  if  possible,  be  so  arranged 
that  the  cows  can  be  fed  at  the  head — ie.,  a  passage  in  front  of  the  stalls  ; 
it  is  less  disturbing  and  more  convenient,  if  cows  are  in  the  daytime 
turned  into  a  warm  yard  they  do  not  need  so  much  space  as  those  which 
are  tied  up  constantly.  The  subject  will,  perhaps,  be  more  fully  referred 
to  in  a  future  issue. 
Colouring  Margarine. — The  colour  of  margarine  to  make  it 
resemble  butter  is  now,  we  learn  from  a  contemporary,  strictly  prohibited 
over  the  greater  portion  of  the  United  States.  Where  the  anti-colouring 
law  is  in  force]  all  that  is  necessary  in  order  to  secure  a  conviction  is  to 
show  that  the  suspected  substance  is  not  pure  butter.  It  is  a  pity  that 
the  British  Government,  in  the  interests  of  the  dairy  industry  of  the 
United  Kingdom,  cannot  see  its  way  to  the  adoption  of  a  regulation  to 
the  same  effect  for  these  countries. 
Sheep  in  Orchards. — Dr.  Galen  Wilson  writes  in  the  “Practical 
Farmer”  (America)  that  he  has  been  giving  particular  attention  to  the 
results  of  allowing  sheep  in  the  orchards.  He  has  visited  many 
orchards  this  autumn  where  they  were  kept  and  wherp  they  were  not,  and 
he  has  a  daily  report  from  a  man  who  is  engaged  in  packing  Apples 
for  market  in  orchards  in  that  and  adjoining  townships,  and  as  he  knows 
which  orchard  sheep  are  kept  in  and  which  they  are  not  in,  and  he 
obtains  reports  of  yield  and  quality  of  the  fruit  in  each,  a  summary 
of  his  observations  and  these  reports  show  that  where  orchards  have 
been  persistently  pastured  with  sheep  they  have  yielded  much  heavier 
crops  and  larger,  fairer  fruit,  less  troubled  with  insects.  In  some  cases 
they  have  borne  freely  every  year,  while  others,  in  apparently  as  good 
locations,  have  borne  ody  occasionally. 
Potatoes  as  Cattle-Food. — The  Potato  crop  this  year  has  been 
such  a  bumper  one  in  some  parts  of  New  Zealand  that  the  homely  tuber 
has  become  quite  a  drug  in  the  market.  But  rather  than  allow  the  excess 
crop  to  go  to  waste,  the  farmers  have  been  feeding  their  cattle  on 
Potatoes  with  very  beneficial  results.  The  “  Cantei  bury  Times  ”  (New 
Zealand)  says  :  “  A  number  of  farmers  have  taken  to  feeding  their  stock 
with  Potatoes  on  account  of  the  low  price  ruling  for  them,  and  most  of 
those  who  have  made  the  experiment  state  that  some  difficulty  was 
experienced  at  first  in  getting  the  stock  to  eat  the  Potatoes,  but  that  now 
the  horses,  cows  and  sheep  look  for  (heir  daily  ration,  which  they 
devour  with  avidity.  The  coats  of  a  number  of  farm  horses  and  hacks, 
which  have  been  liberally  supplied  with  potatoes  for  the  past  month  or 
so,  look  beautifully  sleek,  and  fed  with  oatiheaf,  potatoes  and  bran, 
the  animals  are  in  good  hard  condition.” — (“Indian  Gardening.”) 
Winter  Egg  Production. — I  heard  the  other  day  that,  after  all, 
we  might  overdo  the  poultry  keeping.  All  I  can  say  is  that  we  cannot 
at  present  overdo  the  production  of  new-laid  eggs  in  November.  Even  in 
October  this  year  eggs  have  been  selling  at  six  for  Is.,  and  they  will  be 
dearer  still.  Naturally  the  dearness  means  that  large  numbers  of  careful 
housekeepers  avoid  eggs,  and  substitute  cheaper  foods.  Therefore,  there 
is  still  a  very  large  place  for  more  new-laid  eggs,  which  there  is  no 
prospect  at  present  of  being  occupied.  Of  course,  it  is  too  late  to  remedy 
the  difficulty  this  season.  The  eggs  are  not  there  ;  the  pullets  are  not 
there  to  produce  them.  What  we  have  to  consider,  says  a  writer  in  the 
“  Farmer  and  Stock-breeder,”  is  the  best  way  of  bringing  the  supply  up 
better  next  year.  Let  us,  therefore,  get  our  pens  mated  up,  and  our  plans 
put  in  order  for  a  good  season  in  the  spring.  Where  there  is  plenty  of 
room,  there  is  certain  profit  in  rearing  strong,  good,  laying  pallets. 
Child  Labour. — The  law  may  at  times  be  “a  hass,”  but  occasionally 
it  is  possible  to  forgive  its  asinine  eccentricities.  Public  commendation 
will  naturally  be  extended  to  those  Lincolnshire  magistrates  who  recently 
inflicted  such  lenient  fines  upon  farmers  for  illegally  employing  children 
as  Potato  pickers.  We  recently  referred  to  the  dearth  of  labour  in  this 
department  of  the  agricultural  work,  and  expressed  our  sympathy  with 
those  farmers  who  are  face  to  face  with  a  somewhat,  serious  difficulty.  In 
order  to  save  their  crops,  we  presume  they  had  recourse  to  child  labour. 
Now,  it  seems,  they  have  been  summoned  by  the  local  School  Board,  and 
the  magistrates,  recognising  the  mitigating  circumstances,  imposed  the 
minimum  fine  of  one  shilling,  without  costs.  The  School  Board  contends 
that  such  penalties  render  the  prosecution  a  farc°,  and  have  appealed  to 
the  Education  Department  Let  us  hope  that  this  department  will 
acquiesce  in  the  magisterial  decisions,  and  will  interpret  the  insignificance 
of  the  fines  as  a  sympathetic  appreciation  of  a  labour  difficulty,  and  not  as 
an  attempt  to  obstruct  or  discourage  the  administration  of  the  education 
laws. — (“Rural  World.”) 
The  Importance  of  Fine  Tilth.— There  are  many  reasons  which 
render  it  desirable  to  have  land  reduced  to  as  fine  a  state  of  tilth  as 
practicable  before  proceeding  to  sow  seed  in  it.  One  of  these  reasons  is 
because  a  fine  state  of  tilth  enables  the  seed  to  be  more  uniformly 
distributed  and  more  evenly  covered  ;  another  and  a  still  more  important 
reason,  perhaps,  is  because  it  is  essential  to  have  the  soil  about  the  seeds 
in  as  fine  a  condition  as  possible  at  the  timo  the  seeds  are  sprouting,  so 
as  to  enable  the  young  plants  to  take  advantage  of  the  plant  food  present 
in  the  soil.  The  finer  the  condition  to  which  the  soil  is  reduced,  says  an 
Irish  contemporary,  the  more  readily  will  the  tender  roots  of  the 
germinating  plants  be  able  to  find  their  food  amongst  them,  and  the 
better  the  opportunity  they  will  have  for  absorbing  the  p  ant  food  which 
is  essential  to  their  growth.  For  a  time  after  germinating  the  plant  is 
capable  of  living  on  the  substance  contained  in  the  seed,  but  this  store  of 
reserve  material  very  soon  becomes  exhausted,  and  it  is  then  that  the 
plant  food  in  the  soil  becomes  so  necessary  to  enable  the  plant  to  go  oi 
with  its  growth. 
