232 
JOUmAL  OF  HORTICULTtJRF  AKD  COTTAGE  GARDEEER. 
Septembef  2,  1897. 
life  thus  laid  down,  there  is  every  hope  of  a  cure  being  effected,  if  the 
case  be  not  already  desperate. 
It  is  of  no  use  working  in  the  dark,  and  accepting  and  using  every 
nostrum  prescribed  by  anxious  friend  or  fussy  busybody.  It  is  only 
repeating  an  old  tale  to  speak  of  the  fearful  depression  which  has  of 
late  years  fallen  on  our  English  agricultural  community — a  depression 
that  has  stolen  on  us  so  gradually  and  so  surely  that  at  times  we  are 
nigh  overwhelmed  by  its  density. 
That  there  have  been  times  of  trial  and  bad  prices  occurring  at 
different  periods  we  all  knew,  and  we,  hoping  against  hope,  trusted 
that  this  heavy  cloud  would  in  due  time  pass  away,  and  that  things 
would  regain  their  normal  prosperity.  As  promotion  cometh  neither 
from  the  East  nor  the  West,  so  hope  begins  to  seem  as  far  distant; 
indeed,  so  distant  that  it  is  hope  no  longer. 
It  was  in  the  year  1893  that  the  Royal  Commission  appointed  to 
inquire  into  the  causes  of  agricultural  depression  began  to  sit ;  it  is  in 
July,  1897,  that  their  report  appears.  There  has  been  no  undue 
haste,  and  we  think  they  have  treated  the  matter  exhaustively. 
We  are  not  quite  sure  whether  they  as  a  body  are  fully  alive  to  the 
awful  struggle  it  has  been  to  many  a  tenant  farmer  to  keep  his  head 
above  water  the  last  few  years.  The  landlord  seems  to  get  the  greater 
share  of  their  pity  ;  perhaps  we  are  looking  at  their  deliberations  with 
a  jaundiced  eye. 
As  to  the  main  causes  of  the  trouble  we  agree — the  falling  markets 
and  the  need  of  thorough  readjustment  of  rents.  IIow  to  stay  the 
fall  in  prices  is  more  than  anyone  dare  say.  We  might  offer  a  sug¬ 
gestion,  but  possibly  our  suggestion  might  not  be  taken  in  good  part 
by  our  readers.  In  many  parts  and  on  many  estates  there  has  been 
great  abatement  (permanent)  of  rent,  but  some  landlords  appear  yet 
incapable  of  grasping  the  fact  that  bread  c<annot  be  got  out  of  a  stone, 
and  that  from  a  commercial  point  of  view  rents  and  the  value  of 
produce  must  be  somewhere  approximate. 
Bearing  in  mind  the  fact  that  prices  of  grain  have  fallen  over 
40  per  cent,  during  the  last  twenty  years,  and  that  beef  has  declined 
from  24  to  40  per  cent.,  mutton  from  20  to  30  per  cent.,  wool 
50  per  cent.,  dairy  produce  30  per  cent.,  and  Potatoes  from  20  to 
30,  with  Hops  at  an  unprofitable  price,  the  reduction  in  the  rent  of 
land  must  be  something  very  material  to  meet  the  exigencies  of 
the  case.  The  fact  that  we  now  only  grow  about  25  [ler  cent,  of  the 
Wheat  we  need  proves  that  somewhere  and  somebody  can  grow  that 
Wheat  much  more  cheaply  than  we.  At  one  time  we  felt  safe  if  we 
had  good  Barley  crops.  Now  the  maiket  is  flooded  with  the  produce 
of  Eastern  Europe,  which  quite  knocks  our  prices  on  the  head.  In  the 
same  manner  our  Oats  have  to  give  place  to  Maize,  so  that  we  have 
literally  nothing  that  will  aid  us  to  stem  the  flowing  tide  of 
misfortune. 
The  only  people  who  appear  to  have  made  a  living  profit  of  late 
years  are  those  whose  holdings  are  suitable  for  the  cultivation  of  dairy 
produce,  fruit,  and  greengrocery,  and  who  are  close  upon  their 
markets — i.e.,  near  large  towns,  thickly  populated  districts,  and  the 
mining  villages. 
There  is  one  thing  in  favour  of  small  holdings — viz.,  the  lessening 
of  the  labour  bill.  The  farmer  and  his  family  do  all  the  work,  do  it 
better,  but  at  a  lower  price  than  hired  labour.  Well,  we  suppose  if 
they  are  willing  to  be  losers  it  is  their  own  look  out ;  but  in  a  properly 
drawn  balance-sheet  we  cannot  see  where  the  advantage  comes  in,  it 
appears  rather  a  case  of  robbing  Peter  to  pay  Paul.  Whether  any  of 
us  really  understand  the  true  meaning  of  bimetallism  is  an  open 
question  ;  yet  a  majority  of  the  Commissioners  agree  that  one  of  the 
steps  back  to  prosperity  will  be  the  adoption  of  bimetallism  in  England. 
3  hey  ground  their  assertion  on  the  fact  that  while  agricultural 
depression  is  so  wide  spread  throughout  the  countries  of  the  world,  the 
only  two  countries  that  are  free  have  respectively,  one  a  silver  and  the 
other  a  paper  currency. 
The  heavy  charges  of  the  railways  and  the  preference  given  in 
price  in  favour  of  foreign  produce  has  been,  and  still  is,  a  serious  blow 
in  the  face  to  the  English  farmer.  Legislature  here  seems  powerless 
to  step  in  to  our  aid,  although  there  is  great  room  for  some  radical 
change.  I’he  labour  bill  caanot  well  be  touched  with  any  safety ; 
poor  tilling  means  poor  crops,  and  it  is  veiy  false  economy  to  deny  the 
land  proper  attention.  As  to  the  sale  of  manures  and  feeding  stuffs, 
well,  this  matter  is  practically  in  the  hands  of  the  farmers  themselves. 
That  it  was  not  so  some  years  ago  we  are  the  first  to  admit ;  but  every 
farmer  now  knows  the  advantage  of  buying  these  commodities  as  per 
analysis. 
The  farmer  wants  a  freer  hand,  too,  as  regards  the  management  of 
his  holding  ;  in  many  cases  he  is  treated  more  like  a  child  or  a  person 
who  is  suspected  of  evil  deeds.  He  is  risking  his  capital,  practically 
his  all,  and  yet  he  is  supposed  to  need  the  most  stringent  of  agree¬ 
ments.  I'hat  the  burdens  on  the  land  are  ever  increasing  we  know 
sadly  to  our  cost,  and  the  present  relief  is  but  a  iiea-bite  compared 
with  our  netds. 
Lnless  something  is  done  to  attract  the  best  class  of  farmers  to  the 
land,  the  chances  are  that  the  occupiers  will  be  men  totally  unsuited 
to  the  pursuit  of  agriculture —men  who  have  adopted  this  calling 
merely  as  a  pleasant  change  from  town  life,  and  who,  though  they 
may  have  the  capital,  yet  need  the  necessary  skill  to  apply  it  in  the 
best  possible  manner. 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
When  we  were  saving  a  fine  crop  of  splendid  (  lover  and  hay  in  .Tune 
and  early  .Tuly,  we  did  not  realise  to  the  full  the  true  value  of  it,  but  we 
know  it  now.  For  the  past  three  weeks  both  horses  and  milk  cows  have 
been  practically  dependant  on  the  haystack,  for  pastures  have  been 
dreadfully  bare,  and  it  is  a  marvel  where  the  animals  get  a  bite. 
The  rain  of  the  8th  August,  though  not  heavy,  is  now  beginning 
to  bear  fruit,  and  the  more  recent  heavier  fall  will  assist  the  growth 
of  herbage  of  which  we  are  sorely  in  need.  The  weather  now  is  of  a 
very  forcing  nature.  We  hope  after  a  good  rain  we  may  again  have 
sunshine,  for  grass  grown  without  it  is  of  little  value,  as  we  found  last 
autumn. 
A  large  portion  of  the  grain  crops  are  now  safely  in  the  stackyard. 
Wheat  is  nearly  all  in,  the  principal  crop  left  out  being  Barley.  Rain  in 
moderate  quantity  would  still  do  the  Barley  much  good.  We  have 
ourselves  found  the  outside  of  the  stook,  which  had  been  exposed  to  a 
few  showers,  much  superior  in  quality  to  the  inside  which  had  been  kept 
absolutely  dry.  Of  course  our  last  year’s  experience  makes  us  dread  the 
recurrence  of  such  a  disastrously  wet  time  ;  but,  nothing  venture  nothing 
have,  and  we  are  giving  a  part  of  our  Barley  the  chance  of  a  bath  or  two 
before  stacking.  There  will  most  likely  be  an  increase  in  the  yield,  apart 
from  the  quality'. 
Rain  has  kept  Potatoes  growing,  and  may  be  in  time  for  the  latest 
kinds.  For  second  earlies  it  will  do  more  harm  than  good,  and  these 
sorts  would  be  better  sent  to  market  at  once  before  second  growth  takes 
place. 
Crops  promise  to  be  light  all  round,  Giants  and  Up  to  Date, 
especially  the  latter,  being  the  varieties  that  promise  the  best.  New 
kinds  are  always  promising,  but  it  is  seldom  one  finds  the  promise  so  well 
fulfilled  as  in  the  case  of  the  Potato  Up  to  Date. 
We  hear  of  thrashings  of  Wheat,  and  they  are  fairly  satisfactory. 
'I'he  yield  per  acre  will  vary  very  much  from  2^  to  6  (jrs.,  but  it  is 
uniformly  heavy  proportionately  to  the  straw. 
MKTSOROLOQIOAL  OBSERVATIONS. 
OAHDBN  SQUARB,  LONDON. 
Lat.il®  19' 40"  N. ;  Long.  0°  8/  0"  W.:  Altitude  111  feet 
Datb. 
9  A.U. 
In  thb  Day. 
Bain. 
1897. 
August. 
1  Barometer 
at  32°,  and 
1  Sea  Level. 
Hygrometer. 
Direo- 
.tion  of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of  soil 
at 
1  foot. 
Shade  Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperatun 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun. 
On 
Grass. 
Inohs. 
leg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg 
Inohf. 
Sunday  ...  22 
29-630 
61-7 
56-2 
W. 
61-7 
69-1 
64-8 
118-6 
49-6 
0-072 
Monday  ....  23 
29-771 
61-1 
56-7 
W. 
61-4 
65-4 
53-7 
103-1 
60-2 
_ 
Tuesday  ....  24 
29-663 
63  6 
69-7 
S.E. 
60-9 
68-3 
61-6 
103-0 
49-1 
0-153 
Wednesday  25 
29  6ft5 
62-6 
69-7 
N. 
60-6 
67-9 
53  4 
112-3 
48-6 
0-464 
Thursday  26 
29-781 
61-6 
67-6 
S. 
59-8 
68-9 
517 
104-9 
47  9 
0-234 
Friday  ....  27 
29-807 
61-2 
67-4 
W. 
60-6 
69  2 
64-1 
112-3 
60-0 
0-021 
Saturday  . .  28 
29-918 
61-) 
57-7 
W. 
60-0 
69-7 
62-8 
116-3 
46-9 
0-010 
29-761 
61-8 
57  7 
60-7 
68  4 
63-6 
1106 
48  9 
0-944 
REMARKS. 
22od — Generally  fine  and  sunny,  but  heavy  showers  between  3  and  4  P.M. 
i3rd.— Generally  overcast,  but  sunny  inteivals. 
24tb. — Fair  early  :  almost  continuous  rain  or  drizzle  from  9.30  A.M.  to  1  P.M.,  and 
heavy  rain  at  O.SO  P.M. ;  fair  after  with  occasional  sunshine  and  spots  of  rain. 
Halo  and  parhelion  at  6  P.M. 
26th. — Generally  overcast,  with  frequent  thunder  between  10  A.M.  and  2  P.M.,  almost 
continuous  rain  from  noon  to  4  P.M.,  heavy  at  0.10  P.M.  with  a  little  hail  and 
two  dashes  of  lightning.  A  little  sun  about  10  a.m.  and  after  3.30  P.M. 
26th.— Generally  sunny  early ;  fair  day  ;  steady  rain  from  6  P.M.  to  9  P.M.,  and  rain  at 
11.15  P.M. 
27th.— Bright  sunshine  generally,  but  cloudy  for  an  hour  or  two  at  midday. 
S8th. — Bright  early  and  much  sun  in  morning,  but  a  smart  shower  at  9  A.M. ;  drizzly 
afternoon  ;  snnny  evening. 
A  very  showery  week,  but  with  much  bright  sonshine.  Temperature  very  equable, 
hut  slightly  below  the  average.— G.  J.  Symons. 
