70 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  18,  1901. 
A  Pleasant  Drive. 
When,  during  the  hottest  of  the  dog  days,  a  friend  and  neighbour 
makes  the  offer  of  a  drive  round  his  outlying  farm,  and  at  the  same 
time  a  glance  at  the  methods  of  others  on  the  way  thither  and  back 
again,  we  are  naturally  not  loth  to  accept,  knowing  that  everything 
we  shall  see  will  be  worth  a  visit,  as  our  friend  does  nothing  badly  or 
by  halves.  Probably  more  can  be  learnt  as  to  crop  prospects  from  a 
casual  visit  to  land  with  which  we  are  familiar,  than  from  a  more 
extended  tour  into  strange  surroundings.  The  crops  close  around  us, 
and  which  we  see  every  day,  are  apt  to  fix  in  our  minds  a  false 
standard  ;  and  comparison  with  others  which  we  have  not  previously 
seen,  but  which  are  growing  on  land  which  we  know  the  exact  value 
of,  may  often  give  us  cause  for  self-conceit,  but  more  often,  and  much 
more  likely,  knock  the  self-conceit  out  of  us.  So  it  was  in  this  case. 
Setting  off  directly  after  breakfast,  we  had  not  proceeded  more  than 
two  miles  before  we  came  across  a  piece  of  Barley  (Wrench’s  Prolific), 
which  quite  put  in  the  shade  the  field  in  front  of  our  own  windows, 
and  which  we  had  thought  invincible.  The  very  next  field  to  Wrench’s 
was  also  very  good, but  though  its  name  was  “Invincible”  (Garton’s), 
it  was  clearly  beaten  by  the  other.  Other  fields  of  our  friend’s  which 
we  looked  at  later  were  almost,  if  not  quite,  as  good,  the  varieties 
being  Garton’s  Invincible  and  Carter’s  Prize  Prolific,  the  latter  a  very 
heavy  crop  of  straw,  but  Dot  so  well  headed,  and  showing  signs  of 
weakness  in  the  straw  little  calculated  to  withstand  a  heavy  rainfall. 
Barleys  on  the  whole,  even  on  sandy  soil,  we  found  to  exceed  our 
expectations,  and  we  should  Dot  estimate  the  yield  at  less  than  5  qrs. 
per  acre.  Last  year  these  farms  did  Dot  produce  more  than  3^,  which 
was  probably  the  worst  crop  they  had  grown  for  many  years.  Passing 
by  some  small  fields  of  Wheat  and  Potatoes,  we  were  much  struck  by 
the  very  promising  appearance  of  the  crops,  a  promise  not  usually 
associated  with  small  holdings,  at  any  rate  in  this  neighbourhood. 
Our  friend,  who  is  retail  agent  for  a  large  manure  firm,  let  us  into  a 
secret,  and  explained  this  by  declaring  that  these  small  farmers  were 
amoDgst  his  best  customers,  usmg  artificials  in  far  greater  proportion 
than  the  larger  farmers.  The  latter  manure  their  land  by  grazing 
sheep  ;  but  though,  as  a  rule,  they  grow  heavier  crops  of  Barley, 
their  Wheat  is  not  so  level  and  good  as  that  on  tt  e  small  holdings. 
Anon  we  come  to  our  friend’s  fields,  and  first  inspect  one  of  Wheat, 
which,  though  growing  on  dry  limestone,  would  be  difficult  t">  beat  on 
typical  Wheat  soil.  Although  it  had  not  loDg  been  out  of  flower  the 
sparrows  are  already  hard  at  work.  Squarehead’s  Master  is  the 
kind  of  Wheat,  and  a  masterpiece  it  is,  5  feet  high  and  level  as  a  table  ; 
there  should  be  far  more  than  5  quarters.  Another  field  of  the  same 
Wheat,  and  equally  good,  was  visited  later,  the  two  plots  being 
divided  by  a  field  of  roots,  firstly  Carter’s  Windsor  Mangold  just 
covering  in  the  rows  and  showing  every  promise,  as  it  should,  having 
received  a  good  dressing  of  short  muck,  7  cwt.  of  Potato  manure 
(5  per  cent,  ammonia,  20  per  cent,  phosphate,  4  per  cent,  potash), 
followed  by  1  cwt.  nitrate  of  soda  after  singling.  Next  a  large  piece 
of  Elephant  Swede,  a  full  plant  and  very  healthy,  but  patchy  in 
appearance  through  irregular  germination,  this  latter  being  caused  by 
drought.  A  good  breadth  of  white  Turnips  just  up  and  looking 
beautiful  completed  what  we  doubt  not  will  be  very  shortly  a  most 
promising  field  of  roots. 
Passing  through  a  gate  we  come  to  three  fields  of  hill-side  grass, 
which  the  occupier  describes  as  the  blot  on  the  farm.  Two  of  the 
fields,  50  acres  altogether,  are  certainly  very  poor  in  appearance,  and 
certainly  worth  no  more  than  the  10s.  per  acre  which  he  values  them 
at;  but  we  fancy  that  this  will  not  always  remain  their  value,  for  the 
next  field,  one  of  28  acres,  presents  a  very  different  appearance,  and 
has  carried  three  horses,  nineteen  beasts,  and  100  sheep,  doing  them  well, 
whereas  the  50  acres  has  carried  but  thirty-three  beasts,  three  horses, 
and  thirty  sheep.  To  what  is  the  difference  owing  ?  Half  a  ten  of 
basic  slag  per  acre  applied  years  ago  is  the  sole  cause.  One  field  is  a 
mat  of  Clover,  the  others  ore  barely  covered  with  coarse  grass.  The 
slag  has  been  rather  slow  in  its  effects,  but  it  has  been  conclusive. 
Our  friend  being  a  man  of  great  energy,  and  not  partial  to  slow 
methods,  proposes  to  try  superphosphate  on  the  other  fields,  but  a 
mixture  of  the  two  manures  would  rather  commend  itself  to  us. 
The  cattle  in  the  two  pastures,  all  of  shorthorn  type,  looked  very  well, 
and  some  of  them  were  ready  for  draughting  into  the  feeding  pasture, 
which  lay  over  the  hill  on  the  eastern  slope.  A  shire  maie  and  foal, 
the  latter  a  first  champion  pr'zewinner,  though  but  seven  weeks  old, 
and  a  Hackney  mare  (by  Danegelt)  and  foal,  also  a  prizewinner 
grazing  and  looking  well  on  the  bare  hill  side,  testify  to  the  high 
character  of  the  farm  stock.  The  feeding  pasture  next  visited  contains 
some  excellent  bullocks  fit  for  the  butcher,  and  others  which  will  take 
ittle  stall  feeding  if  they  do  not  go  off  from  grass. 
Yet  further  we  come  to  a  capital  crop  of  Clover  being  carried 
home  straight  from  the  windrow  without  cocking.  The  master  is  at 
first  inclined  to  challenge  his  foreman’s  wisdom  in  so  hurrying  matters, 
but  the  man  firmly  holds  that  the  hay  is  dry  enough,  and  we  agree 
with  him.  Not  exactly  a  bumper  crop,  but  good  for  the  season. 
But  what  is  this  field  of  lilac,  just  like  one  huge  penny  postage  stamp  ? 
A  20-acre  field  of  Potatoes  in  full  bloom,  a  perfect  flower  garden;  the 
seed  made  in  Germany,  and  the  name  “  Professor  Maerker.”  Practice 
is  worth  more  than  profession,  but  the  promise  is  immense.  The 
haulm  is  so  strongly  erect  and  woody  that  it  gives  every  assurance 
that  the  Potato  is  what  it  professes  to  be — a  huge  cropper  and  absolute 
disease  resister.  The  next  field  is  planted  with  Up-to-Date,  and  we 
should  have  thought  it  perfect  had  we  not  already  made  acquaintance 
with  the  Professor  A  corner  of  British  Lion  looks  equally  well.  If 
this  kind  acts  up  to  its  reputation  of  being  4  tons  better  than  Up-to-Date, 
the  Professor  Maerker  will  have  its  work  set  to  come  out  at  the  top. 
A  visit  to  the  yards  reveals  a  number  of  young  calves  being  reared 
with  the  bucket,  and  another  lot  weaned  and  now  living  on  cut  hay 
and  straw,  with  a  little  green  food  and  cake.  They  will  not  be  turned 
out  to  grass  until  next  spring.  A  young  pedigree  bull  looks  viciously 
at  us  from  a  small  yard,  and  in  a  shed  is  a  fine  older  one,  which  will 
ere  long  find  its  way  to  the  butcher.  A  fine  flock  of  ewes  are  suckling 
their  lambs  on  two  capital  pieces  of  young  seeds  (first  year),  and  both 
dams  and  young  lo  king  so  well  it  is  no  surprise  to  hear  that  prizes  at 
the  local  show  were  recently  won  by  them.  We  have  not  space  to  say 
much  of  our  return  home  by  another  route,  but  we  pass  through  some 
excellent  land  and  well  farmed,  none  of  it,  however,  looking  better  and 
little  as  well  as  that  of  our  energetic  friend,  who  is  a  splendid  type  of 
what  a  tenant  farmer  should  be,  and  is  rightly  held  in  the  highest 
estimation  by  one  of  the  best  of  landlords. 
Work  on  He  Home  Farm. 
A  very  hot  week  and  a  drying  wind  has  dried  the  land  surface  very 
rapidly.  Land  in  poor  condition  is  already  showing  signs  of  weakness 
in  the  appearance  of  brown  and  yellow  patches  in  crops  which  should 
not  be  ready  for  the  reaper  yet  awhile. 
Hay  making  and  Turnip  hoeing  find  plenty  of  occupation  for  all 
hands,  and  the  horses  to  spare  from  the  hay  leading  are  all  wanted  to 
keep  the  horse  hoes  moving  between  the  Turnip  rows.  Weeds  are 
easily  killed  now,  and  a  constantly  stirred  surface  allows  little  moisture 
to  escape.  We  have  had  two  or  three  heavy  dews  which  have  helped 
to  refresh  the  growing  crops,  but  there  is  every  appearance  of  further 
heat.  Hopes  of  a  shower  are,  however,  raised  by  the  oldest  inhabitant, 
who  has  seen  a  Noah’s  Ark  in  the  sky,  and  speaks  mysteriously  of 
sundry  pains  in  his  joints.  Another  nice  rain  would  do  good,  but  if  we 
are  to  have  it,  may  it  come  soon,  and  not  when  harvest  is  just  ready,  as 
it  did  last  year. 
Swedes  and  Turnips  have  come  up  rather  irregularly,  and  some  of 
the  former  were  some  time  in  the  ground  waiting  for  sufficient  moisture. 
The  rains  supplied  it,  and  the  seed  is  all  up.  There  is  little  or  no  fly, 
and  this  hot  weather,  with  or  without  rain,  will  bring  trouble  in  the 
shape  of  too  many  roots  to  hoe  at  once.  Extra  men  are  quite  unobtain¬ 
able,  so  the  regular  staff  must  be  tempted  by  piece  work  at  a  good 
price  to  make  long  days,  and  so  get  the  crops  run  over.  As  regards 
common  Turnips,  which  want  hoeing  badly,  a  rough  thinning  may  be 
quickly  done  by  running  a  set  of  light  harrows  across  the  rows.  If 
the  harrows  remove  too  many  plants  the  removal  of  a  few  teeth  will 
make  all  right.  A  horse  hoe,  such  as  is  used  for  Corn  crops,  will  also 
make  useful  work  if  carefully  used.  Such  a  cross-thinning  not  only 
will  give  much-needed  relief  to  the  overgrown  plants,  but  materially 
lessen  the  work  of  hand-hoeing. 
Fat  stock  markets  are  very  much  crowded  both  with  cattle  and 
sheep,  and  graziers  are  complaining  bitterly  of  the  lack  of  profit.  The 
fact  grows  plainer  every  day  that  the  rearer  of  stock  gets  the  lion’s 
share  of  the  plunder,  and  occupiers  of  grass  farms  must  pay  more 
attention  to  that  branch  of  farming  if  they  are  to  make  a  living  profit. 
Cutting  up  Cabbage  for  Poultry. — When  one  has  plenty  of 
Cabbage  on  hand  it  does  not  pay  to  cut  or  chop  them.  Given  to  them 
whole,  care  only  being  taken  to  strip  off  decayed  portion  if  any,  and  to 
peel  off  any  dry,  tough,  outside  layers  of  leaves  that  are  oftentimes 
found  on  heads  that  have  been  kept  in  a  dry  cellar,  the  fowls  will 
eagerly  help  themselves.  If,  however,  the  supply  is  limited,  and  it  is 
an  object  to  make  the  most  of  what  I  have  at  band,  I  practise  chopping 
the  Cabbage  fine  in  a  meat  chopper  For  this  purpose  (and  one  should 
include  also  Beets  aud  meat),  one  of  those  where  a  double  set  of  cog 
wheels  gives  a  very  rapid  chopping  movement  to  a  knife  that  works 
perpendicularly  may  be  used.  By  using  the  li  tie  machine  (the  knife 
in  mine  is  about  10  inches  long)  one  is  able  to  utilise  the  stump,  as  well 
as  the  heads,  which  are  too  hard  for  the  fowls  to  reduce  by  their  bills. 
