72 
January  16,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE 
Preparation  for  the  Barley  Crop. 
Many  of  us  can  remember  the  time  when  Wheat  was 
Belling  at  15s,  and  20s.  per  quarter  more  than  Barley.  As 
oi\  the  average  a  heavier  crop  of  the  latter  can  be  grown, 
it  is  not  surprising  that,  with  prices  on  the  same  level,  or 
more  often  with  a  difference  in  favour  of  Barley,  consider¬ 
able  importance  attaches  to  the  successful  cultivation  of  it. 
We  therefore  ask  indulgence  of  our  readers  if  we  seem  to 
unnecessarily  lay  a  stress  of  repetition  on  certain  rules  of 
action  connected  with  the  question.  On  January  3,  1901, 
we  advised  farmers  to  prepare  for  a  dry  summer  by  getting 
their  spring  corn  sown  at  the  earliest  favourable  oppor¬ 
tunity.  That  early  sowing  benefited  greatly  the  sower  there 
can  be  no  doubt,  for  the  result,  both  in  grain  and  straw, 
far  exceeded  the  average  of  the  season. 
It  is  fairly  certain  that  on  average  soil  and  all  above 
the  average  in  strength  and  condition,  every  suitable  oppor¬ 
tunity  should  be  seized  to  drill  Barley  as  .soon  as  St. 
Valentine’s  Day  is  gone  by.  By  suitable  opportunity  is 
meant  the  drilling  of  the  seed  in  a  suitable  seedbed  and  in 
suitable  weather.  The  weather  we  have  to  wait  for,  but 
as  we  often  are  favoured  with  bright  sunny  days  in  mid- 
February,  it  should  only  be  a  matter  of  waiting.  A  fine 
tilth  is,  however,  another  matter  altogether,  and  one  that 
is  more  often  brought  about  by  intelligent  than  haphazard 
or  rule  of  thumb  preparation.  For  instance,  at  the  present 
time  many  fields  from  which  the  roots  were  consumed  early 
were  ploughed  and  left  to  frost  influence.  The  frost  came, 
and  no  doubt  did  its  work,  but  the  very  heavy  deluges  we 
have  lately  been  favoured  ( '?)  with  have  made  the  land  little 
less  than  a  mud  flat.  To  get  this  in  order  for  early  sowing 
win  not  be  easy,  but  it  may  be  done.  All  land  which  is  in 
this  condition,  or  anything  approaching  it,  we  recommend 
should  be  reploughed  as  soon  as  it  will  carry  the  horses. 
It  must  be  opened  to  the  further  influence  of  frost,  and 
the  rougher  it  turns  up,  the  more  effectual  will  be  the  action 
of  frost  upon  it.  It  must  not  be  allowed  to  dry  too  much 
before  ploughing,  as  time  would  be  lost,  and  the  opportunity 
of  getting  it  turned  over  before  the  remainder  of  winter 
weather  should  visit  us.  We  may  have  little  more  frost 
at  all,  but  it  is  more  likely  to  come  soon  than  late.  We 
shall  apply  the  same  rule  to  Turnip  land  not  yet  moved 
after  eating  off  the  Turnips.  It  will  be  ploughed  as  soon 
as  all  surface  water  has  disappeared. 
The  proper  ploughing  of  Turnip  land  is  of  great  moment 
to  the  following  crop  of  Barley.  Too  often  the  ploughing 
is  done  in  a  slipshod  manner,  and  the  sole,  if  the  loose  soil 
be  carefully  removed,  may  be  found  in  a  state  of  ridge  and 
furrow,  brought  about  by  the  plough  not  travelling  in  a 
level  manner.  If  ploughmen,  especially  lads,  are  not  closely 
looked  after,  they  will  generally  tilt  the  plough  towards 
the  unploughed  side,  because  it  is  easier  w’ork  for  both 
them  and  the  horses  ;  but  to  get  an  even  sample  the  soil 
must  be  evenly  turned  over  and  a  flat  sole  left.  If  the 
ploughing  be  done  badly,  it  is  often  not  difficult  to  distin¬ 
guish  lines,  or  ribs,  in  the  way  of  difference  of  colour  in 
the  earlier  stages  of  growth,  especially  when  the  Barley  is 
drilled  across  the  ploughing.  This  difference  may  dis¬ 
appear  in  a  superficial  way  later  on,  but  may  remain  and 
exercise  great  influence  on  the  even  quality  of  the  sample. 
Some  people  Avould  prefer  to  use  the  spring  cultivator 
to  loosen  soil  surface  sealed  by  heavy  rains,  and  the  process 
might  be  effectual  for  the  lighter  classes  of  soils,  but  for 
heavy  soil  we  think  it  would  not  be  sufficiently  drastic.  As 
every  gardener  knows,  there  is  nothing  to  equal  the  spade. 
The  fork  may  be  useful  for  cleaning  purposes,  but,  like  the 
cultivator,  it  lacks  thoroughness.  To  live  we  must  breathe, 
and  it  is  the  same  with  plant  life.  The  more  air  w’e  can 
succeed  in  suspending  in  the  soil  the  more  active  and 
healthy  will  be  the  plant  life  with  which  we  tenant  it. 
When  drilling  time  approaches  and  the  weather  promises 
well,  no  time  must  be  lost  in  giving  the  land  the  final 
touches.  To  break  it  up  from  the  ploughing,  a  crossing 
with  the  spring  tooth  cultivator  will  prove  the  best  process. 
AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
‘  For  light  soils  this  implement  used  two  or  three  times  over 
i  and  followed  by  harrows,  may  prove  to  be  sufficient,  but  for 
heavy  soils  it  is  not  so  efficient.  It  stirs  and  lifts  the  soil, 
but  does  not  have  a  sufficiently  disintegrating  effect.  For 
this  purpose  we  must  have  a  strong  set  of  chisel-toothed 
harrows,  which  will  require  all  the  strength  of  three  good 
horses.  With  these  hanows  used  alternately  with  a  heavy 
roll  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in  quickly  obtaining  a 
suitable  tilth.  But  supposing  the  soil  is  too  damp  for 
rolling,  or  the  weather  is  too  showery?  Well,  then  the 
land  and  weather  are  not  suitable  for  Barley  sowing.  The 
land  must  be  dry,  and,  if  not  actually  dusty,  must  be  nearly 
approaching  that  condition. 
But  there  is  another  matter  that  must  not  be  forgotten 
in  preparing  for  a  Barley  crop  after  roots  eaten  on  the  l^d 
— we  mean  the  management  of  the  sheep  as  regards  folding 
and  feeding,  so  as  to  evenly  tiistribute  the  animals’ 
droppings.  The  grazing  of  Turnips  without  the  cutter  and 
without  cake  invariably  results  in  an  even  crop  of  grain, 
but  as  soon  as  we  begin  to  use  Turnip  and  cake  troughs  the 
day  of  careful  supervision  begins.  The  Turnips  or  Swedes 
should  not  be  trimmed  into  too  large  heaps,  and  the  cutter 
being  brought  to  the  side  of  more  heaps,  there  will  be  less 
tendency  to  keep  the  troughs  long  in  one  place,  but  in  any 
case  the  troughs  must  not  be  arranged  around  the  heap 
to  save  carrying,  as  we  often  see,  but  in  a  line  at  equal 
distances,  and  they  should  be  moved  twice  a  day.  No  two 
meals  should  be  given  on  the  same  position.  There  should 
be  plenty  of  room  for  the  sheep  to  fall  back  on.  Eighty 
yards  of  back  fold  is  not  at  all  too  much,  and  the  cake 
troughs  should  be  some  distance,  say  forty  or  fifty  yards, 
behind  the  Turnip  troughs,  and  they  also  must  be  aiTanged 
with  equal  precision  and  constantly  moved,  care  being  taken 
not  to  place  them  in  positions  lately  occupied  by  Turnip 
troughs,  but  between  such  places.  Turnips  refused  by  the 
sheep  and  left  in  the  troughs  should  not  be  simply  turned 
out  and  left  in  heaps  or  liages,  but  spread  about.  Farmers 
cannot  afford  to  waste  any  this  year,  but  there  are  a  good 
number  of  cankered  and  woody  bulbs  this  year  which  sheep 
will  not  consume  unless  they  are  pined  to  it.  We  have  had 
two  seasons  none  too  favourable  for  the  Barley  crop  ;  may 
the  coming  one  do  something  towards  making  up  for  their 
deficiencies. 
Work  on  tlie  Home  Farm. 
Farming  matters  are  in  much  the  same  condition  as  last  week. 
Drying  winds  had  improved  things  a  little  as  regards  the  surface, 
but  two  wet  nights  have  made  everything  as  wet  as  ever.  Some 
farmers  are  knocking  off  the  horses’  com  and  giving  them  a  rest, 
but  here,  fortunately,  the  demand  for  Potatoes  for  America  con¬ 
tinues,  and  although  the  roads  are  heavy  going,  we  are  glad  to 
so  keep  our  animals  employed,  whilst  at  the  same  time  realising 
produce  which  promises  to  be  a  drag  in  the  spring.  The  price 
is  a  low  one  for  such  fine  quality,  but  growers  in  this  district 
seem  inclined  to  take  it.  Potatoes  are  not  keeping  well,  and 
some  growers  are  turning  their  stuff  over  with  a  view  to  specula¬ 
tion  for  higher  prices.  Disease  seems  to  have  spread  since  the 
crop  was  stored,  and  many  of  the  tubers  are  sprouted,  which 
shows  that  there  is  warmth  more  than  is  natural  at  midwinter. 
The  new  variety,  “Professor  Maercker,”  is  coming  out  of  the 
pits  splendidly  :  the  size  cannot  compare  with  Up-to-Date,  but 
there  is  absolutely  no  disease.  The  men  say  there  has  not  been 
one  diseased  Potato  noticed,  and  the  quality  is  much  improved 
with  keeping.  It  is  very  firm  yet,  and  should  be  grand  for  spring 
use. 
The  Turnip  land  is  still  like  a  quagmire,  and  although  the 
sheep  are  run  on  grass  as  much  as  possible,  they  must  be  on 
Turnips  a  few  hours  every  day  to  get  a  belly-full.  The  roots 
cannot  be  carted  off,  for  there  is  difficulty  enough  in  getting  a 
supply  for  the  cattle.  A  good  big  heap  of  Swedes,  stored  by  the 
side  of  a  good  cart  road,  would  be  invaluable  now.  The  weather 
is  helping  us  to  economise  Turnips,  but  it  is  at  the  expense  of 
due  progress  on  the  part  of  our  stock.  “Fat  goes  in  qt  the 
mouth,”  and  the  forced  economy  means  later  maturity.  Bought 
food  of  every  kind  is  dearer,  and  very  dear.  The  price  of  Maize 
seems  to  be  the  chief  active  agent.  A  quarter  of  Wheat  will 
not  now  purchase  a  quarter  of  Maize.  Why  farmers  use  any  at 
all  at  the  price  passes  comprehension,  but  we  suppose  it  is  the 
force  of  habit.  They  grumble  but  go  on  buying. 
The  fencing  against  stock  on  seeds  and  grass  is  nearly  com¬ 
pleted,  but  when  the  hedges  are  properly  used  they  do  not 
require  very  much  attention.  It  is  generally  those  which  are 
neglected  altogether  which  require  the  most  thorns  and  stakes  to 
make  them  good — and  next  to  these  are  the  weakly,  too  con¬ 
stantly  trimmed  hedges,  which  are  full  of  small,  rotten  wood, 
and  which  a  determined,  hedge-creeping  ewe  can  easily  make  a 
way  through.  These  are  the  fences  which  find  constant  occupa¬ 
tion  for  a  shepherd  throughout  the  summer,  and  a  ready  excuse 
for  absence  from  any  hard  work  which  may  be  on  hand. 
