198 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
February  27,  1902. 
Day,  Sons,  and  Hewitt,  with  great  success  in  cases  of  this 
nature.  No  doubt  there  are  many  other  equally  good 
specifics ;  but  the  above  we  can  vouch  for.  There  is  a 
tendency,  which  often  may  be  overdone,  for  farmers  and 
shepherds  to  keep  their  young  lambs  too  long  in  the  pens. 
Except  in  cases  where  the  ewe  is  suffering  from  fever  or 
debility,  or  when  an  ewe  with  a  pair  of  lambs  takes  a  dislike 
to  one  of  them,  there  is  no  reason  for  keeping  them  in  a 
pen  for  more  than  twenty-four  hours.  Strong  single  lambs 
with  healthy  mothers  should  not  be  penned  at  all  unless 
the  weather  be  very  wet  or  severe.  It  is  rather  a  benefit 
than  otherwise  when  lambs  drop  thick  and  fast,  and  pens 
are  scarce,  for  then  none  are  penned  up  but  those  which 
really  need  shelter. 
Cotton  is  the  best  kind  of  cake  to  produce  milk,  and  it 
is  good  for  ewes  before  lambing.  Afterwards  a  mixture 
of  cotton  and  linseed  cakes  and  crushed  oats  makes  the 
best  dry  food  to  encourage  the  flow  of  milk.  A  few 
Mangolds  are  almost  indispensable,  both  before  and  after 
lambing ;  but  cold  watery  food,  such  as  roots,  are  best  kept 
from  the  ewes  for  a  day  or  two,  and  in  feverish  cases  until 
the  fever  subsides.  Castor  oil  and  sweet  nitre  should  always 
be  at  hand,  especially  the  former.  On  the  first  appearance 
of  scour  a  dose  of  castor  nil  should  be  given,  and  will  always 
do  a  lamb  more  good  than  harm.  Mischief  sometimes 
arises  in  the  case  of  a  single  lamb  from  the  dam  having 
too  much  and  too  rich  milk.  This  may  be  rectified  by  giving 
the  ewe  a  good  dose  of  Epsom  salts.  An  ewe  never  has  too 
much  milk  for  a  pair.  When  a  fine  lamb,  three  or  four  days 
old,  dies  suddenly,  it  is  often  from  this  cause,  and  the 
shepherd  with  a  spare  lamb  or  two  will  put  another  to  the 
ewe,  which  also  dies  as  soon  as  adopted  by  its  foster-mother 
She  IS  then  condemned  as  a  lamb-killer,  and  fed  off,  whereas 
Bt  iBw  cios6s  of  cooling  mcdicino  might  havo  put  everythin^ 
right.  - 
The  Future  of  South  Africa. 
M  e  may  safely  say  we  have  two  governments,  our  Horn 
Administration  and  our  Foreign  and  Colonial  Bureau 
-Acting,  as  they  do,  independently  of  each  other,  they  ar 
also  co-operative,  both  members  of  one  great  whole,  and 
therefore,  the  benefit  of  the  one  is  the  benefit  of  the  other 
Creat  Britain  is  getting  smaller  every  year ;  girt  in  by  he 
protecting  seas,  her  sons  have  no  standing  room  left.  The 
are  cribbed,  cabined,  and  confined  ”  here,  and  have  to  fini 
fresh  homes  away  from  her  shores.  East,  West,  North  an( 
South  they  go,  driven  by  stern  necessity  and  by  that  spiri 
of  adventure  and  love  of  change  which  seems  to  be  implante( 
in  so  rnany  a  breast.  Our  colonies  seem  to  be  the  natiira 
homes  for  these,  our  wandering  sons,  and  it  is  a  satisfactioi 
to  think  of  them  though  distant,  as  under  the  same  oh 
the  duty  of  our  colonial  Government 
to  see  that  all  is  done  that  can  be  done  to  give  these  new 
comers  from  the  old  home  a  fair  start,  wf  look  to  the" 
colonies  to  be  producers  of  those  things  we  need  daily,  am 
limited  space  and  geographical  situation 
we  are  unable  to  produce  for  ourselves.  M^e  are  their  marke 
tor  food  suiffs,  and  in  return  we  supply  them  with  our  bes 
manufactures.  This  applies,  of  course,  to  those  of  ou 
agricultural.  We  are,  ii 
tact  a  Mutual  Help  Society  on  a  large  scale. 
Now,  about  South  Africa.  Before  we  get  this  biisineR 
fairly  settled  there  will  be  a  big  bill  to  pay  by  somebodv— ■ 
will  fall  upon  us  nationally,  and  we  must  maki 
the  best  of  our  bargain  when  we  get  it.  The  mineral  wealtl 
of  South  Africa  of  course,  seems  the  predominant  idea  ;  bu 
theie  IS  more  than  mineral  wealth,  and  the  mineral  wealtl 
has  a  way  of  disappearing.  We  may  look  upon  South  Africi 
as  a  food-producing  colony,  and  w^e  want  food  in  ever  in 
creasing  quantity  But  to  turn  the  vast  tracts  of  continen 
Eir^f  absolutely  necessary 
Fust,  the  right  men;  there  are  many  wrong  ones 
outdoor  life  would  give  ut 
^e  r  office  stool,  or  cast  awav  their  scales  and  me^asures 
Not  those  charming  young  fellows  who  have  been  sSt  of 
learn  farming  on  some  greai 
holding.  These  young  men,  as  a  rule,  get  through  thTfr  fSri 
it!  pleasantly.  A  ride  or  a  walk  round  the  farn 
morning,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  day  the  thoiisanc 
and  one  pleasant  occupations  of  a  rich  man  of  leisure  in  th( 
country.  These  will  not  do,  although  there  is  stuff  in  them 
Neither  will  the  pale  young  student  who  divides  his  time 
between  experimental  plots  and  weighing  and  analysing  fi 
the  laboratory.  If  you  could  mix’him  and  the  other  man 
together,  you  might  come  at  a  good  result ;  but  the  man  that 
is  wanted  is  of  the  type  of  our  fast  decaying  yeomanry- 
men  with  knowledge  of  the  land  and  its  requirements,  the 
breeding  of  live  stock,  and  a  love  for  real  hard  work ;  that 
is  the  man  required  for  a  new  colony.  There  is  many  a 
youngster  who  will  work  ;  but  for  want  of  knowledge  and 
sound  early  training,  works  in  the  wrong  direction  and  mis¬ 
applies  his  labour. 
The  second  great  need  is  irrigation.  Now,  these  colonies 
of  South  Africa  are  hot  arid  deserts,  like  parts  of  Western 
America.  There  is  a  heavy  rainfall,  and  there  are  great 
rivers.  The  rainfalls  are  often  very  inopportune  in  their 
appearance  ;  but  where  there  is  water  it  can  be  stored  and 
turned  to  man’s  account.  We  have  only  to  look  to  Egypt, 
and  what  is  being  done  there  can  be  done  here.  At  least, 
such  is  the  opinion  of  Mr.  W.  WiUcocks,  who  is  one  of  the 
greatest  authorities  on  irrigation  in  India  and  Egypt.  Mr. 
Willcocks  condemns  the  present  system  of  irrigation  in  toto. 
Our  Government  must  take  the  question  in  hand,  treating 
the  lands  as  arid,  or  semi-arid,  and  proceed  accordingly. 
The  irrigation  scheme  would  of  itself  give  employment  to 
many  hands,  and  the  land,  when  prepared  for  occupiers, 
would  have  to  be  let  with  the  view  to  the  future  proprietor¬ 
ship  of  the  tenant,  subject,  of  course,  to  an  irrigation  rate. 
Mr.  Willcocks  advises  Lord  Milner  that  the  way  to  make 
agriculture  possible  in  the  future  is  to  spend  upon  it  some  of 
the  money  now  derived  from  its  mineral  wealth,  for  when  the 
mineral  wealth  is  gone,  what  is  there  to  fall  back  upon  but 
agriculture  1  This  seems  rather  in  the  far  future ;  but 
governments  have  to  consider  the  future  more  even  than  the 
present,  which,  in  a  manner,  takes  care  of  itself.  With  an 
irrigated  South  Africa,  and  a  sound  stock  of  English  farmers 
occupying  their  own  lands,  there  would,  and  must  be,  a 
glorious  future  for  that  country  which  has  cost  us  so  much 
in  blood  and  money. 
Work  on  the  Home  Farm. 
There  is  very  little  to  chronicle  this  week.  It  is  simply  a 
case  of  “  as  you  Avere.”  Everything  is  still  frost-bound,  though 
it  is  noAv  thaAving  slightly.  We  have  had  a  Aveek’s  frost,  and  it 
Avill  take  a  Aveek  to  thaAv  at  this  rate.  The  ground  is  frozen  to 
a  depth  of  6in  or  7in,  and  Ave  want  a  good  rain  to  thaAv  it  quickly 
and  thoroughly.  Farmers  are  beginning  to  grumble  at  the  AA'aste 
of  valuable  time,  and  casual  labourers  are  also  in  Ioav  AA'ater  for 
lack  of  employment. 
A  good  deal  of  threshing  has  been  got  through  lately ;  there 
has  been  little  else  to  do,  and  some  farmei-s  have  practically 
threshed  out.  If  ready  money  is  not  Avanted  the  Avhole  of  the 
.straAv  Avill  soon  be  required  for  use,  and  there  can  be  little  left  to 
carry  over  to  next  season.  Let  us  hope  that  Ave  may  have  more 
bulky  crops  this  time. 
It  is  too  early  to  report  as  to  lambing  results,  but  Avhat  Ave 
hear  is  favourable.  Sheep  feeders  are  not  so  fortunate  as 
breeders,  and  expressions  of  disappointment  and  disgust  are  heard 
on  every  side.  One  farmer  bought  a  lot  of  lambs  in  August. ,  They 
have  been  Avell  fed  on  roots  and  cake  ever  since,  and  the  Turnips 
coming  to  an  end  the  sheep  have  sold  for  Is.  per  head  more  than 
they  cost.  Another,  making  a  more  correct  foreca.st  of  the 
Avinter  forage  supply,  sold  his  lambs  in  September  and  purchased 
as  many  breeding  ewes  as  he  thought  his  farm  Avould  keep. 
Having  run  his  sheep  as  much  as  possible  on  grass,  he  has 
husbanded  his  Turnips,  and  noAA’  has  plenty  of  everything,  being 
metaphorically  in  clover.  The  very  serious  que.stion  noAv  ’arise^ 
If  this  thaAA'  continues,  hoAv  long  Avill  exposed  roots  keep?  They 
have  been  so  thoroughly  frozen  that  they  Avill  probably  all  rot 
AA  hen  thaAA  ed.  Markets  are  glutted  AA'ith  sheep,  and  there  being 
no  outside  buyers  from  the  grazing  districts,  butchers  have  it  all 
their  OAvn  Avay.  A  butcher  aaus  offering  forequarters  of  first-rate 
mutton  ]a.st  week  at  5Id.  per  lb  ;  6d.  per  lb.  has  been  the  top  price 
for  sheep  in  their  avooI  for  the  last  fortnight. 
There  .seems  to  be  a  little  move  in  the  aa’ooI  trade,  as  one  or 
tAvo  local  holders  have  cleared  out.  In  one  case  there  Avere  the 
accumulated  groAvths  of  nine  years.  Holding  this  aa-ooI  and 
selling  noAv  must  have  been  an  expensive  amusement  if  each  year’s 
value  and  5  per  cent,  interest.  Avere  reckoned  in  the  account. 
The  loss  on  8,000  fleeces  mu.st  have  been  Avell  oA^er  £1,000. 
- - 
The  Feeding  Value  or  Potatoes. 
Three  pounds  of  Potatoes  at  25s.  oer  ton  cost  2-5d  ;  the  grain 
food  costs  |d.  Potatoes  contain  more  than  twice  as  much 
food  asMangold  or  Swedes,  so,  therefore,  ought  to  be  cheaper 
at  ps.  than  the  other  roots  at  12s.  6d.  As  Potatoes  are 
rather  laxative,  cotton  cake  is  the  best  food  to  give  in 
conjunction  with  them. 
