290 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  17,  1896. 
It  is  a  long  lane  that  has  no  turning,  and  dark  and  hopeless 
has  been  the  agricultural  outlook  for  a  long  time,  there  are 
one  or  two  slight  rifts  in  the  clouds  which  may  betoken  brighter 
days  to  come. 
The  firmer  state  of  the  grain  trade,  with  a  probability  of  a  very 
appreciable  rise  in  prices,  has  been  the  first  bit  of  encouragement 
to  the  farmer  to  hope  that  better  times  may  be  in  store  for  him. 
The  sales  of  Shorthorns  lately  held  have*  been  very  satisfac¬ 
tory,  as  showing  that,  severe  as  is  the  competition  we  have 
to  face  from  foreign  herds,  they  cannot  keep  up  their  stock  to  a 
proper  standard  without  constant  recruits  from  the  best  blood 
in  this  country. 
The  sales  of  pure  bred  rams  have  been  even  more  successful, 
and  have  culminated  in  record  and  even  sensational  prices  at  the 
sale  of  Longwools  at  Lincoln  on  the  4th  inst.  The  prices 
realised  by  Mr.  Henry  Budding’s  flock  were  most  remarkable, 
fifteen  animals  realising  1460  guineas,  an  average  of  £102  2s. 
-each,  whilst  one  sheep  fetched  as  much  as  350  guineas  The  same 
price  was  reached  also  by  a  ram  belonging  to  Mr.  J.  Pears 
whose  average  was  £74,  whilst  other  flocks  reached  to  £30,  £40^ 
and  £50  each.  Of  course,  these  high  prices  are  only  commanded 
by  sheep  of  exceptional  quality,  and  the  money  goes  into  the 
hands  of  a  select  few,  but  as  a  considerable  proportion  are 
bought  for  South  America,  it  all  helps  to  prove  that  if  the 
English  farmer  will  keep  his  stock  up  to  a  high  standard  of 
perfection,  he  may  count  with  certainty  on  finding  a  good 
customer  in  the  foreign  stock  raiser. 
There  is,  however,  another  side  to  the  picture  and,  with  the 
assistance  of  the  new  blood  now  acquired,  the  foreigner  may 
flood  our  markets  in  the  future  with  -tock  as  good  as  our  own, 
but  this  is  not  likely  as  regards  really  freshly  k'lled  meat. 
Hitherto  foreign  mutton  killed  on  this  side  the  water  has  not 
been  sold  here  wholesale  under  6d.  to  7d.  per  lb.,  sa>'  6^d.,  whi  h 
is  little  less  than  the  price  of  the  best  home  fe  1  animals. 
Carcases,  no  doubt,  may  be  and  are  sent  over  in  enormous 
quantities,  but  this  frozen  stuff,  cheaply  as  it  is  put  upon  the 
market.  O  ily  reaches  the  tables  of  those  who  otherwise  would 
not  get  meat  at  all,  and  the  pork  trade  is  more  depressed  by  it 
than  are  beef  and  mutton. 
The  best  English  mutton  is  not  quite  so  dear  as  it  was,  but 
it  is  generally  conceded  that  really  good  cross-brei  or  Down 
sheep  are  not  likely  to  be  any  cheaper.  Every  butcher  will  tell 
you  that  his  growing  difficulty  is  the  sale  of  second-class  meat 
but  this  applies  more  particularly  to  beef  than  mutton,  and,  if 
the  sheep  be  a  right  one,  every  joint  will  find  a  ready  customer. 
We  must,  therefore,  do  our  utmost  to  produce  the  class  of 
sheep  required.  Downs  or  cross  -  breds  are  always  saleable, 
though  3  or  4  lbs.  of  wool  per  head  may  have  to  be  sacrificed  as 
compared  with  Lincolns  or  Leicesters ;  this  wool  however,  even 
if  it  fetch  Is.  a  lb.  may  be  dearly  bought  if  Id.  per  lb  less 
has  to  be  taken  for  70  or  80  lbs.  of  mutton. 
On  the  home  farm,  where  home  fed  mutton  is  killed  weekly 
for  the  Hall,  quality  of  meat  must  be  the  first  and  foremost 
consideration,  and  we  fancy  that  the  ordinary  farmer  might 
take  a  hint  from  this  fact,  and  aim  at  suiting  the  taste  of  the 
well  to-do  townsman,  as  the  -farm  steward  does  that  of  his 
employer  Eor  those  who  will  thus  accommodate  themselves 
to  the  requirements  of  the  market  we  think  the  prospect  holds 
out  great  encouragement. 
Very  bright  are  the  hopes  of  those  farmers  in  the  Eastern 
counties  and  South  who  have  safely  housed  a  good  crop  of  fine 
Barley.  Continental  Barleys  are  said  to  be  inferior  in  quality 
and  much  damaged  by  rain,  and  as  the  bad  weather  of  the  first 
week  of  September  has  almost  or  quite  ruined  the  crop  in 
Yorkshire  and  the  North,  high  prices  are  likely  to  rule  for  fine 
samples.  This  is  not  good  news  for  the  brewers,  but  they  have 
been  having  a  good  turn  the  last  year  or  two,  and  well  able  to 
afford  a  higher  price. 
A  glance  at  the  agricultural  reports  wil  show  that  the  roots 
and  grass  have  been  the  failing  crops  this  season  but  here  we 
must  also  note  a  change  for  the  better.  The  heavy  rains  which 
have  been  in  some  parts  bad  for  the  harvest  have  evei’ywhere 
flushed  the  pastures,  and  autumn  keep  will  now  be  plentiful ; 
whilst  Turnips,  where  there  is  a  Turnip  at  all,  however  small  or 
late  have  made  most  marvellous  improvement;  the  effect  of 
this  is  seen  in  a  decided  advance  in  the  price  of  store  sheep 
lambs  being  several  shillings  dearer  than  in  July. 
WOBK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
Another  dre»dfnlly  wet  week,  and  the  great  advantage  of  a  lengthened 
period  between  harveit  and  November  is  being  rapidly  loet.  Ploughing 
can  certainly  be  done  ;  bat  it  is  almost  too  wet  now  for  that,  and  as  for 
dragging  and  harrowing  the  horses  would  be  much  better  in  the  stable. 
We  are  now  ploughing  in  a  heavy  dressing  of  farmyard  manure  for 
Cabbage.  It  is  too  early  to  plant  yet ;  iu  fact,  our  plants  will  not  be 
ready  until  late  in  October,  but  as  we  have  ploughed  10  inches  deep 
with  chilled  ploughs,  leaving  the  land  rather  light,  there  will  be  plenty 
of  time  for  it  to  settle  before  planting. 
The  South  of  England,  having  got  its  harvest  in,  can  afford  to  sympa¬ 
thise  with  those  in  the  North,  who  still  have  much  to  get.  It  is  a  weary 
and  heartless  task,  as  we  ourselves  can  testify  ;  grain  sprouting  rapidly 
in  the  stock  or  on  the  ground,  and  when  opened  out  or  turned  and  almost 
>lry,  down  again  comes  the  rain.  There  must  be  a  very  considerable 
waste,  besides  the  loss  of  quality  and  extra  expense  in  labour.  For  these 
backward  districts  the  future  is  gloomy  indeed. 
Potatoes  are  ready  to  take  up,  but  the  land  is  not  at  a^  in  fit  condi¬ 
tion  for  the  operation,  and  we  must  wait  for  drier  weather. 
It  is  now  time  for  the  ewes  to  be  running  with  the  rams.  Few 
breeders  put  the  ram  to  them  later  than  October  Ist.  If  a  good  fall  of 
lambs  is  desired  the  ewes  should  be  kept  in  improving  condition.  New 
needs  are  good  pasture  for  them  ;  but  nothing  makes  them  thrive  better 
chan  rape,  a  breadth  of  which  at  this  season,  grazed  with  the  ewes,  will 
bring  a  heavy  return  in  lambs  next  March. 
Going  back  to  Potatoes,  those  who  are  now  lifting  and  storing  for 
winter  and  spring  use  should  take  care  that  the  straw  used  be  quite  dry. 
Much  less  is  required  if  it  be  dry,  for  what  is  really  necessary  to  guard 
against  frost  is  a  space  between  the  Potatoes  and  the  earth  put  over 
them,  and  this  space  must  he  filled  with  dry  material.  At  the  same 
time  the  straw  must  be  used  with  judgment— i.f;,,  it  must  be  used  as 
thatch  as  well  as  frost  guard,  and  to  compass  the  two  objects  it  should 
oe  laid  on  each  side  of  the  pie  straight  as  thatch  on  a  stack  with  a  third 
layer  over  the  ridge,  which  should  well  overlap  the  side  layers.  If  well 
covered  with  earth  this  should  keep  the  tubers  perfectly  dry.  A  foot  in 
width  along  the  ridge  may  be  left  unsoiled  if  heating  is  feared,  as  the 
natural  warmth  of  the  pie  will  keep  out  frost  along  the  ridge  unless  the 
winter  be  exceptionally  severe. 
MBTEOROLOGIOaL  OBSERVATIONS. 
OAMDBiN  3QOARH,  LOXDON. 
Lat.  51°  33' 40"  N. ;  Lon?.  0°  8/  0"  W.;  Altitude  111  feet. 
Date. 
9  A.M. 
In  the  Day. 
a 
1896. 
September. 
^  3  >  Hygrometer. 
Direc¬ 
tion  of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of  soil 
at 
1  foot. 
Shade  Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
&  M  oe 
CO  doa 
Dry, 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun. 
On 
Grass. 
Inohs. 
leg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Inchs. 
Sunday  ..  6 
29-933 
59-1 
56-3 
N. 
59-6 
62-0 
65-6 
91-3 
53-3 
— 
Monday  ..  7 
30-044 
61-1 
57  2 
N. 
59-0 
70-7 
54-3 
110-4 
52-2 
0017 
Tuesday  . .  8 
29-900 
62-8 
60-2 
E. 
59-1 
71-9 
69-0 
110-1 
64-9 
0-381 
Wednesday  9 
29-624 
65-9 
62-1 
E. 
60-0 
70-6 
58-7 
109-9 
65-2 
0-088 
Thursday . .  10 
29-634 
61-1 
60-0 
SE. 
59-9 
63-1 
55-7 
76*8 
52-0 
0-633 
Friday  ..11 
29-757 
60-8 
56-9 
S. 
691 
68-0 
51-3 
87-3 
50-6 
0-042 
Saturday  . .  12 
29-796 
62-1 
59-2 
S. 
59-1 
64-8 
65-8 
78-1 
51-9 
0-Z2i 
29-313 
61-8 
58-8 
59  4 
67-3 
55-8 
94-8 
52-9 
1-887 
REMARKS. 
6th.— Rain  at  0.30  A.M. ;  generally  overcast,  with  spots  of  rain  and  occasional  gleams 
of  sun. 
7th.— Fine  with  a  good  deal  of  sun,  but  spots  of  rain  in  afternoon. 
8th.— Generally  cloudy,  but  a  fair  amount  of  sun  in  moruing  :  showers  in  evening. 
9th.— Thunderstorm  at  midnight ;  alternate  olond,  sunshine,  and  showers  during  day, 
and  heavy  rain  with  distant  thunder  at  2.30  p.m. 
10th. — Almost  continuous  rain  till  5  P.M.,  heavy  at  10  A.ii.,  and  from  11  A.M.  to  2  P.M. ; 
occasional  distant  thunder  in  morning. 
11th. — Bright  early ;  overcast  and  damp  day,  with  frequent  showers. 
;  12th. — Overcast  day,  with  occasional  showers  in  afternoon. 
Another  wet  week,  with  temperature  slightly  above  the  average,— G.  J.  SYMONS. 
