44 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  9,  1896. 
PROFITABLE  FARMING. 
Very  different  should  be  the  cropping  of  arable  land  by  large 
and  small  farmers,  though  profitable  farming  is  undoubtedly 
the  object  of  both  sections  of  our  most  important  national 
industry.  Under  the  present  and  prospective  conditions  of 
agriculture  small  farms  of  from  60  to  150  acres  are  much  more 
in  request  than  large  farms.  We  hope  this  is  an  indication  of 
a  better  proportion  of  land  to  capital,  of  a  general  recognition 
of  the  true  value  of  intensive  culture,  of  more  thorough 
intelligent  practice  in  every  way. 
On  such  small  holdings  we  have  seen  mixed  farming  done 
exceedingly  well,  the  arable  farming  being  especially  attractive* 
both  from  the  excellence  and  admirable  arrangement  of  the 
crops  The  scheme  of  cropping  embraces  plenty  of  Drumhead 
Cabbage  in  use  now,  even  more  Thousand  headed  Kale  to  follow, 
and  for  use  in  early  spring  as  being  a  thoroughly  reliable  green 
crop,  perfectly  hardy,  wholesome,  nutritious,  and  very  productive. 
In  comparison  with  these  two  the  root  crops  are  moderate. 
They  comprise  Potatoes,  Turnips,  Carrots,  and  Mangolds,  mainly 
for  home  use,  but  also  for  sale  where  there  is  a  demand. 
Such  a  farm  always  has  an  early  field  of  Rye,  so  green  and 
vigorous  at  midwinter  as  to  come  briskly  into  use  early  in 
spring,  before  all  other  green  crops  excepting  the  Kale.  There 
is  nothing  so  useful  then  for  folding  ewes  and  lambs  on,  or  for 
mowing  for  dairy  cows,  cattle,  and  horses.  It  gives  the  colour 
and  flavour  of  midsummer  to  butter  long  before  the  cows  can 
be,  or  rather  ought  to  be,  turned  out  to  grass,  and  is  so  much 
in  request  that  most  farmers  have  found  their  supply  run  short 
year  after  year.  Let  this  be  remembered  when  sowing  time 
comes  again  next  autumn.  Better  have  some  Rye  to  spare  than 
run  short,  for  though  Italian  Rye  Grass  comes  into  use  soon 
afterwards,  it  never  is  so  early  as  the  Rye. 
The  scheme  of  cropping  for  the  farming  year  was  settled  at 
Michaelmas  ;  it  was  then  decided  whether  any  farmyard  manure 
could  be  spared  for  pasture,  or  whether  all  that  was  in  hand 
and  would  be  made  during  winter  would  be  required  for  the 
root  crops.  Well  is  it  to  give  heedful  attention  to  this  matter 
in  time.  We  know  it  is  a  favourite  custom  on  many  farms  to 
dress  pasture  with  farmyard  manure  in  October;  we  used  to  do 
so  ourselves,  but  when  we  were  able  to  grasp  the  full  value 
and  importance  of  chemical  manure  from  results  in  our  own 
practice,  there  was  an  end  once  for  all  of  autumn  dressings 
on  permanent  pasture.  All  of  it  was  saved  for  the  root 
crops,  and  instead  of  a  mere  scattering  of  it  along  the  furrows 
we  have  ever  since  then  had  the  furrows  half  filled,  so  that  when 
the  young  plants  of  Swede,  White  or  Yellow  Turnip,  Oarrots( 
Mangold,  or  Kohl  Rabi  put  forth  roots,  they  are  so  quickly 
established  in  the  rich  moisture-holding  muck  as  to  be  practically 
safe  from  drought. 
Thus  in  root  culture  the  liberal  use  of  farmyard  manure  is  a 
safe  and  sure  basis  on  which  we  build  up  a  crop  by  subsequent 
applications  of  stimulating  chemical  manures  To  render  this 
matter  somewhat  more  clear  to  students,  we  may  remind  them 
that  the  farmyard  manure  is  a  safe  basis  because  it  contains  all 
the  elements  of  plant  food  which  it  is  found  necessary  to  impart 
to  the  soil  in  the  ordinary  course  of  manure  application,  as  well 
as  a  superabundance  of  moisture.  These  essential  elements  are 
nitrogen,  potash,  and  phosphoric  acid,  and  if  when  the  plant  is 
singled  and  well  established  it  has  surface  dressings  of  nitrate  of 
soda  at  intervals,  growth  is  quickened,  is  more  robust,  and  a  crop 
of  extraordinary  abundance  is  the  result. 
It  is  by  such  timely  and  intelligent  practice,  in  combination 
with  persistent  energetic  effort  that  profitable  farming  is  still 
possible  We  must  put  more  thought  into  our  work,  and  set 
ourselves  to  obtain  a  clear  knowledge  of  everything  affecting  it 
for  good  or  evil.  In  nothing  is  this  more  important  than  in  this 
application  of  manures.  Take  our  answer  last  week  to  a  corre¬ 
spondent  about  a  dressing  of  chemical  manure  for  his  Winter 
Oats.  With  one  part  of  nitrate  of  soda  to  two  of  mineral  super¬ 
phosphate  we  gave  one-fourth  part  of  bone  flour,  because  we 
knew  that  if  the  nitrate  of  soda  and  superphosphate  were  mixed 
and  left  for  some  days  before  being  u*ed,  the  acid  in  the  super¬ 
phosphate  would  set  free  the  nitrogen  in  the  nitrate  of  soda  and 
it  would  be  lost,  but  the  addition  of  the  bone  flour  prevents  such 
loss,  as  it  absorbs  and  retains  the  nitrogen 
There  is  our  reason  why  for  what  is  at  once  a  simple  and  yet 
an  important  matter  To  lose  the  nitrogen  from  any  manure  is 
to  lose  its  most  important  element,  and  we  may  usefully  conclude 
this  article  by  urging  our  readers  to  set  themselves  to  master 
every  detail  of  the  application  of  manure,  the  what,  when,  and 
how  of  it ;  to  grasp  clearly  and  fully  the  meaning  of  that 
comprehensive  term,  sustained  fertility,  as  the  very  keystone  of 
profitable  farming. 
(To  be  continued.) 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
A  case  of  abortion  among  the  dairy  cows  has  caused  some  alaim  at 
our  home  farm.  We  have  been  unable  to  get  at  the  actual  cause,  and 
can  only  conjecture  that  it  arose  from  exposure,  or  fighting,  or  both. 
The  cow  is  a  Jersey,  rather  small,  but  she  has  always  been  a  healthy 
animal.  Fortunately  it  was  seen  to  be  unwell,  and  was  at  once  removed 
from  the  yard  to  a  single  hovel  right  away  from  the  cow  and  stock 
yards.  It  will  be  kept  there  for  some  weeks,  and  a  careful  watch  kept 
on  the  other  cows.  This  ca9e  coming  at  such  a  critical  season  of  the 
year  is  an  incentive  to  extra  care  of  the  cows. 
Having  gone  closely  into  every  detail,  though  we  have  no  reason  to 
suppose  there  is  any  ergot  in  the  stack  of  hay  in  cut  for  the  cows,  we 
have  had  another  stack  begun  for  them,  and  have  urged  on  the  bailiff 
incessant  watchfulness.  Food,  water,  litter,  ventilation,  are  all  right 
enough,  and  we  hope  we  are  safe,  but  we  have  strong  faith  in  prevention 
rather  than  cure.  We  have  known  abortion  run  through  a  herd  of  cows 
like  an  epidemic,  upsetting  all  calculations,  and  causing  much  sub¬ 
sequent  trouble. 
This  is  a  reminder  of  the  value  of  separate  hovels  or  loose  boxes  for  the 
calving  of  cows,  the  foaling  of  mares,  and  for  the  isolation  of  any 
infectious  case.  We  have  large  loose  boxes  connected  with  both  cow¬ 
houses  and  stables,  and  also  separate  hovels  away  from  the  yards,  each 
with  its  little  yard  and  paddock  so  as  to  be  available  for  special  caBes  at 
any  season  of  the  year. 
The  mild  open  weather  has  thus  far  proved  favourable  to  a  full  supply 
of  eggs  this  winter.  Well  is  it  to  see  that  the  laying  hens’  quarters  are 
snug  and  clean,  and  to  meet  a  change  to  colder  weather  by  the  regular 
use  of  warm  food.  Feed  now  at  daybreak,  and  again  early  in  the  after¬ 
noon  to  make  sure  that  none  of  the  hens  go  supperless  to  roost,  and  give 
them  a  little  corn  occasionally  among  some  litter  by  the  dusting  place. 
Get  plenty  of  early  broods  for  a  full  supply  of  spring  chickens,  and  if 
eggs  are  placed  under  broody  hens  make  the  nests  as  safe  as  possible 
from  frost.  Better  because  more  certain  is  an  incubator,  and  foster 
mother  or  warm  light  room.  There  is  then  no  risk  of  chill  to  the  eggs, 
and  chicks  should  be  forthcoming  freely  enough.  This  is  a  word  to  the 
wise  and  a  reminder  of  how  Berious  were  losses  from  excessive  cold  early 
laBt  year. 
METEOROLOGICAL  OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamden  Square.  London. 
Lat.51°  32' 40"  N. ;  Long.  0°  8/  0"  W.;  Altitude  111  feet 
Date. 
9  A.M. 
In  the  Day. 
d 
'3 
os 
1895,  December ; 
and  January, 
1896 
|  Barometer 
1  at  32°,  and 
|  Sea  Level. 
Hygrometer. 
Direc¬ 
tion  of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of  soil 
at 
1  foot. 
Shade  Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun. 
On 
Grass. 
Inchs. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg 
Inchs. 
Sunday  . . 
29 
29-967 
46-3 
46-0 
N.W. 
39o 
51-1 
32-8 
51-4 
33-0 
0*329 
Monday  . . 
30 
29-739 
50  9 
50-7 
W. 
41-0 
55-2 
46-1 
58-4 
44-4 
0-012 
Tuesday  . . 
31 
29-882 
60-2 
49-6 
W. 
43-0 
51-9 
48-2 
690 
43-8 
— 
Wednesday 
1 
30-216 
440 
43-6 
N.E. 
42-9 
49-9 
39-1 
51-9 
34-0 
0-028 
Thursday  . . 
2 
30-193 
49-4 
49-0 
S.W. 
43-3 
50-8 
44-4 
b2’9 
43-0 
— 
Friday 
3 
30-229 
42-1 
41-4 
N. 
43-9 
43-9 
41-6 
45-9 
41-4 
— 
Saturday  .. 
4 
30-285 
41-7 
41-2 
N.E. 
43  2 
43-8 
38-6 
45-0 
39-0 
— 
30-073 
46-4 
45-9 
42-3 
49-5 
41-6 
52*1 
39-8 
0-369 
REMARKS. 
29th. — Overcast  and  mild  day  ;  rain  at  night. 
30th. — Steady  rain  till  10  a.m.  ;  fair  morning  ;  sunny  afternoon. 
31st. — Bright  sunshine  almost  throughout. 
1st. — Overcast  day,  a  little  drizzle  in  afternoon. 
2nd. — Rain  between  7  and  8  a.m.  ;  dull  and  damp  till  11  A  M. ;  fair  after. 
3rd. — Overcast,  with  more  or  less  smoke  fog  all  day ;  dark  in  afternoon. 
4th. — Overcast,  and  damp  at  times. 
A  mild  week,  considerably  warmer  than  the  last  week  in  October.— G.  J.  SYMONS. 
