88 
JOURNAL  OR  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  23,  1896. 
seed,  and  10  lbs.  of  Yarrow  and  Clover  per  acre,  in  something 
approximate  to  the  following  quantities  : — 
Italian  Rye  Grass  .  5  lbs. 
Perennial  Rye  Grass . 12 
Timothy  .  3 
Dogstail  .  1 
Meadow  Fescue  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  2 
Meadow  Foxtail  .  2 
Cocksfoot  .  5 
Perennial  Clover  .  2 
Red  Clover  .  2 
Alsike .  2 
White  Clover .  .  2 
Yarrow .  2—40  lbs. 
This  we  know  to  be  a  safe,  sound  mixture,  calculated  to  yield 
an  abundance  of  nutritious  herbage,  and  to  carry  eight  or  ten 
sheep  to  the  acre,  if  only  due  attention  is  given  to  sustained 
fertility  of  soil.  As  our  correspondent  says,  the  sheep  should 
impart  this,  and  they  will  under  intelligent  management,  but 
not  if  left  to  themselves.  Turned  into  either  of  the  four 
divisions  of  the  orchard  to  wander  at  will,  they  would  be  certain 
to  seek  the  driest  and  moat  sheltered  spot  at  night.  It  is  at 
night  that  they  do  most  good  to  the  land,  because  they  go 
together  to  repose  ;  that  is  precisely  why  one  part  of  sheep 
pasture  is  so  often  seen  to  be  richer  than  the  remainder.  The 
only  safe  way  for  the  first  two  years  is  to  fold  the  sheep,  the 
proper  time  to  begin  folding  the  first  season  being  when  the 
growth  is  strong,  yet  soon  enough  to  prevent  any  of  it  running 
to  seed.  Passed  over  lightly  and  carefully  thus  in  folds  the 
herbage  is  consumed  evenly,  the  manure  is  concentrated  and 
efficient,  and  brisk  successional  growth  is  certain.  If,  on  the 
contrary,  the  sheep  are  not  folded,  but  left  loose,  the  finer  grasses 
will  be  eaten,  the  coarser  grasses  left — we  may  go  farther,  and 
say  that  the  finer  grasses  will  be  destroyed. 
Next  autumn,  in  October — early  or  late  in  the  month, 
according  to  the  weather  —  the  sheep  must  be  withdrawn 
altogether  till  spring  growth  begins.  If  the  weather  should 
happen  to  continue  fine  and  open  they  may  even  remain  till 
November ;  but  knowing  how  frequently  the  weather  becomes 
exceedingly  wet  and  cold  in  October,  our  rule  (not  inflexible)  is 
to  withdraw  them  then  for  the  two  first  winters. 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
The  curing  of  bacon  and  hams  has  been  going  steadily  on  since 
November,  from  a  selection  of  pigs  ran  over  the  stubbles  after  last 
harvest,  and  then  shut  up  and  fed  for  this  purpose.  Oar  Bomewhat  old- 
fashioned  bat  safe  method  of  having  both  hams  and  bacon  a  month  in 
pickle  and  a  month  in  smoke  is  the  reason  why  we  are  engaged  during 
most  of  the  winter  in  curing  enough  for  twelve  months’  supply  for  the 
household.  As  the  flitches  and  hams  are  finished  they  are  taken  out  of 
the  smoking  bags,  and  suspended  from  the  roof  of  the  bacon  room  at  the 
farm.  Before  the  fly  season  begins  the  hams  will  each  have  a  stout 
paper  bag,  made  quite  secure  at  the  mouth,  to  ward  off  attacks  of  flies. 
In  connection  with  this  matter  we  may  usefully  call  attention  to  the 
urgent  need  which  exists  for  a  general  improvement  in  the  breeding  of 
pigs.  Those  of  inferior  breed  are  plentiful  enough.bat  superior  -pigs 
always  in  request — always  profitable — are  so  scarce  that  one  of  the  large 
bacon  firms  complains  of  the  poor  supply,  notwithstanding  the  fact  of 
its  offering  a  premium  for  pigs  bred  up  to  its  standaid,  or  in  other 
words,  suitable  for  its  requirements. 
The  reform— the  profitable  improvement  required  in  this  direction — 
is  as  simple  as  it  is  certain.  Often  have  we  told  how  by  the  introduction 
of  a  pedigree  boar  we  improved  the  local  breed  in  a  remarkable  manner. 
It  is  all  a  matter  of  selection  and  care,  of  attention  to  detail,  of  heedful 
regard  to  the  profitable  results  which  follow  early  maturity.  Whether 
pigs  are  for  porkers  or  bacon  hogs  let  us  have  the  best  only  ;  they  cost 
less  to  feed,  they  return  a  higher  percentage  of  profit  always,  because 
they  are  not  affected  by  market  changes  in  anything  like  the  degree  that 
inferior  animals  are. 
^e.t  r'^  sows,  or  any  that  are  becoming  so  large  as  to  be 
unwieldly ;  they  are  apt  to  lie  on  their  young,  and  consume  enormous 
quantities  of  food,  for  which  they  afford  nothing  like  an  adequate 
return.  Much  better  sell  them  at  a  loss,  and  have  nothing  on  the  farm 
in  that  way  but  young  sows.  Have  plenty  cf  them,  there  are  few 
animals  so  profitable,  none  affording  so  speedy  a  return. 
OUR  LETTER  BOX. 
JLargre  Mangolds  for  Exhibition  ( J .  31.).— Huge  roots  are 
obtained  by  special  and  more  or  less  costly  culture.  The  finest  Mangolds 
we  have  seen  growing  were  on  a  farm  of  600  acres,  or  rather  a  portion 
of  the  farm  that  was  cultivated  as  a  garden,  not  with  the  plough  but 
the  Bpade.  An  acre  of  land  was  set  apart  for  the  giants.  It  was 
trenched  2  feet  deep  or  more,  and  made  rich  throughout  by  the  lavish 
use  of  the  best  manure  from  cake-fed  animals.  Although  the  soil 
was  good  to  begin  with,  8  inches  of  the  manure  was  spread  on  the  top  of 
■the  under  spit,  and  with  the  f^ot  or  rather  more  of  the  soil  above  this 
was  incorporated  a  generous  amount  of  the  same  kind  of  manure  older 
and  more  crumbling  in  its  nature.  Seeds  were  sown  in  April  in  prepared 
stations,  30  inches  apart.  A  compost  heap  was  formed  of  free  soil, 
decayed  vegetable  matter  and  wood  ashes,  a  couple  of  pecks  of  soot  and 
the  same  of  bone  meal  added  to  a  cartload.  The  mixing  was  done  well, 
and  the  heap  twice  turned  prior  to  use.  It  was  protected  from  heavy 
rains.  A  slight  hollow  was  made  in  the  soil  and  a  good  spadeful  of  the 
mixture  placed  in  it.  Half-a-dozen  selected  seeds  were  inserted  2  inches 
asunder  in  each  station.  The  plants  grew  sturdily  and  were  gradually 
thinned,  leaving  the  best  in  each  station.  Dredged  with  crushed  nitrate 
of  soda  about  J  oz.  around  each  station  the  growth  became  luxuriant. 
The  land  was  noed  every  week  and  the  whole  dressed  with  3  cwt.  of 
salt  and  2  cwt.  of  nitrate  of  soda.  Nor  was  this  all,  for  where  the 
plants  were  half  grown  several  loads  of  liquid  manure  were  given  to 
them,  or  the  best  of  them,  and  these  became  abnormally  large.  Although 
2£  feet  apart  some  were  drawn  out  to  afford  room  for  the  others  and 
care  was  taken  not  to  injure  the  leaves.  It  was  a  costly  process  but 
answered  its  purpose,  ending  in  the  winning  of  a  silver  cup  and  several 
valuable  money  prizes.  If  you  are  prepared  to  proceed  in  somewhat  the 
same  way  you  may  grow  large  Mangolds,  also  Swedish  and  other 
Turnips.  The  only  mistake  made  for  having  all  the  roots  large  was  in 
not  affording  each  plant  a  square  yard  to  grow  in.  Fine  roots  may  be 
grown  in  fields  by  throwing  open  wide  and  deep  furrows  3G  inches 
apart,  cramming  them  with  manure,  splitting  the  ridges  over  it,  and 
sowing  in  the  then  raised  rows,  some  good  cultivators  drilling  about 
3  cwt.  of  superphosphate  and  half  the  quantity  of  crushed  nitrate  of 
soda  per  acre  with  the  seeds  for  giving  a  quick  and  strong  growth  to  the 
plants.  If  the  farmyard  manure  is  not  of  the  best  it  may  be  sprinkled 
with  bone  meal  prior  to  covering.  The  horse  hoe  is  kept  going  during 
the  growing  season  for  preventing  weeds,  and  atop-dressing  given  of  salt 
and  nitrate  of  soda.  Sulphate  of  ammonia  is  more  sustaining  than 
nitrate  of  soda,  and  found  preferable  by  some  cultivators  in  non-chalky 
soils. 
Daying-  Down  Eight  land  to  Permanent  Pasture  (P.  A.  31.) 
— Lay  down  the  land  to  grass  with  a  crop  of  Black  Tartarian  Oats,  of 
which  sow  4  bushels  per  acre  early  in  March,  or  better  still  in  February 
if  the  weather  is  open  then,  as  your  sandy  soil  can  be  worked  so  easily. 
Drill  in  with  the  Oats  per  acre  1  cwt.  nitrate  of  soda,  2  cwts.  super¬ 
phosphate,  J  cwt.  bone  flour,  \  cwt.  muriate  of  potash.  If  you  have  not 
got  a  suitable  drill  for  applying  manure  with  the  corn,  sow  the  manure 
by  hand  broadcast  first,,  give  it  a  turn  with  the  harrows,  then  drill  ia 
the  corn.  When  the  Oat  plaDt  is  well  up,  sow  broadcast  and  harrow  in 
lightly  the  following  mixture  : — 
Perennial  Rye  Grass 
Cocksfoot 
Catstail . 
Meadow  Fescue 
Crested  Dogstail 
Hard  Fescue  ... 
Sheep’s  Fescue... 
Golden  Oat  Grass 
Yarrow . 
Perennial  Red  Clover 
Alsike  . 
Dutch  Clover  ... 
10  lbs. 
6 
3  , 
2 
5 
4 
4 
1 
2 
1 
1 
1—40  lbs. 
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 
— * 
& 
1896 
January. 
|  Barometer 
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  ..  12 
30-408 
36-6 
34-8 
N.W. 
39-5 
39-9 
35-8 
42-9 
34-6 
0-017 
Monday  ..  13 
29-959 
37-2 
36-3 
N.W. 
39-4 
48-1 
36-4 
57-9 
32.8 
0-101 
Tuesday  . .  14 
29-320 
47-7 
45-8 
N.W. 
39-4 
48-1 
36-9 
50-2 
32-6 
0-100 
Wednesday  16 
29-559 
46-6 
45-9 
S.W. 
39-9 
52-3 
35-7 
61-1 
30-2 
0-010 
Thursday,.  16 
30  013 
39-7 
37-2 
w. 
40-0 
49-2 
36-6 
61-8 
30-7 
_ 
Friday  . .  17 
30T52 
46-4 
44-4 
N.W. 
40-4 
52-7 
40-0 
66-3 
35-1 
_ 
Saturday  . .  18 
30-239 
46-0 
43-7 
w. 
41-3 
47-3 
42-4 
52-0 
36-3 
— 
29-950 
42-9 
41-2 
40-0 
48-2 
37-7 
56-0 
33-2 
0-228 
REMARKS. 
12th. — Overcast  day,  with  a  shower  about  2  P.M. 
13th. — Bright  sunshine  all  day  ;  cloudy  evening. 
14th.— Rain  from  1  a.m.  to  4  a.m,  ;  dull  showery  morning,  a  little  sun  at  3  P.H.,  and 
showers  again  later. 
16th.— Showery  from  3  to  7  A.M.,  and  dull  morning  ;  sunny  afternoon ;  shower  at 
7-30  P.M.,  clear  later. 
16th. — Bright  sunshine  in  morning  ;  overcast  for  a  couple  of  hours  at  midday,  and  sun¬ 
shine  again  later. 
17th.— Fine  with  a  good  deal  of  sun,  but  cloudy  for  two  or  three  hours  at  midday. 
18th.— Overcast  morning  ;  fine  but  sunless  afternoon. 
A  mild  week,  but  in  no  wise  remarkable.— G.  J.  SYMONS. 
