142 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  8,  1901. 
Tlje  Future  of  % 
After  the  remarks  which  were  published  not  long  ago  in  this 
column  on  the  above  subject,  it  is  not  surprising  to  find  such  a  high 
authority  as  Mr.  Martin  J.  Sutton  writing  in  such  strong  condemnation 
of  the  proposed  permanent  settlement  at  Ealmg.  His  arguments  are 
almost  unanswerable,  and  we  are  in  complete  agreement  with  his 
remarks,  that  the  great  bulk  of  members  of  the  society  are  so  strongly 
against  the  policy  of  the  council,  that  persistence  in  it  will  lead  to  a 
very  serious  diminution  in  the  membership  roll.  No  one  can  have  read 
the  reports  of  council  meetings,  with  the  lists  of  new  members  elected, 
without  noticing  the  powerful  effect  of  the  locality  of  each  year’s  show 
in  keeping  up  the  roll  of  members.  A  close  examination  shows  that 
40  per  cent,  of  the  new  members  in  each  year  reside  within  a 
moderate  radius  of  the  site  of  the  show.  The  society  is  evidently 
committed  to  the  purchase  of  the  land  at  Ealing,  but  as  Mr.  Sutton 
urges,  this  might  be  a  good  investment.  To  spend  £30,000  more  in 
laying  out  the  ground  and  in  buildings  is  a  much  more  serious  matter, 
and  may,  if  the  support  of  many  members  be  withdrawn,  involve  the 
society  in  utter  ruin.  It  is  against  such  a  casting  away  of  the  boats 
that  Mr.  Sutton  pleads  most  strongly,  and  it  is  time  that  the  general 
mass  of  members  bestirred  i'self  in  supporting  him  before  it  is  too 
late. 
Rural  “EcoI|omy.’, 
Such  is  the  name  given  to  the  course  of  instruc  ion  which  has 
been  instituted  by  the  City  of  Edinburgh  for  the  past  two  years,  at  a 
cost  of  £600  per  annum.  We  are  constantly  being  told  that  our 
methods  are  behind  those  of  other  countries,  and  that  what  agriculture 
wants  is  more  science.  Well,  here  is  the  cost  of  the  “  Rural  Economy  ” 
classes  for  the  last  session  : — 
10  students,  Agricultural  Chemistry 
4  „  Veterinary  Hygiene... 
3  „  Agricultural  Botany... 
4  ,,  Forestry  . 
.^280 
.  75 
.  50 
.  100 
Besides  this,  the  Highland  Society  made  a  grant  of  £50  to  the 
forestry  class,  so  that  altogether  the  cost  per  student  in  this  subject 
was  £37  10s.  £650  were  expended  in  the  tuition  of  twenty-one 
i  'iipils.  This  is  “rural  economy”  as  practised  by  a  “  city  corporation.” 
I  here  is  either  great  waste  of  money  or  a  great  lack  of  appreciation 
of  the  opportunities  offered.  It  would  almost  appear  that  even  in 
Scotland  the  farmer,  or  would-be  farmer,  looks  upon  scientific 
knowledge  as  superfluous.  Are  there  any  other  means  of  inducing 
a  greater  thirst  lor  knowledge  ?  What  would  be  the  effect  if  a  few 
great  landlords  were  to  insist  on  an  agricultural  degree,  or  similar 
qualification,  in  rural  science  before  admitting  new  tenants  ?  What 
a  howl  there  would  be  ! 
FatteniDg  Poultry. 
Farmyards  are  now  teeming  with  chickens  in  every  state  of 
development,  and  a  thinning  out  process  will  ere  long  have  to  be 
commenced.  The  demands  on  the  corn  supply  will  latterly  have  been 
very  great,  but  on  arable  farms  will  shortly  be  relieved  by  the  advent 
of  the  new  grain  into  the  stackyard.  Country  markets  will  for  the 
next  few  months  be  glutted  with  young  fowls,  fairly  well  grown, 
perhaps,  but  practically  unfed.  Not  one-fifth  of  the  poultry  which  is 
brought  into  many  markets  is  really  fit  for  the  table.  The  birds  run 
about  the  >ards  and  fields  picking  up  a  living  where  they  can, 
assisted  perhaps  by  a  small  allowance  of  poor  grain  thrown  from  the 
granary  door  in  the  morning.  The  evening  before  market  day  the 
perches  are  looked  over,  and  a  few  of  the  least  attenuated  chosen  for 
■disposal  next  day.  Ti  e  hucksters,  who  are  the  chief  buyers,  naturally 
have  not  to  look  far  for  reasons  for  offering  a  low  price,  knowing  that 
they  will  have  to  put  the  birds  up  and  fatten  them  before  they  can 
profitably  dispose  of  them.  Thus  the  farmer’s  wife  often  receives  but 
2s.  9d.  or  3s.  per  couple  for  the  skeletons,  which  after  three  weeks 
fattening  the  poulterer  sells  dressed  at  3s.  each. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  artificial  fattening  is  the  only  way  to  get 
the  quality  of  market  fowls  improved  up  to  the  standard  of  the 
Sussex  and  Surrey  fowls,  though  we  do  not  believe  that  cramming  is 
so  absolutely  necessary,  although  the  use  of  a  machine  makes  the 
process  easier  and  more  certain.  The  crucial  point  seems  to  be  the 
food  used  in  fattening.  Sussex  ground  oats — a  meal  not  entirely 
composed  of  the  oat,  but  a  mixture  of  that  and  other  cereals — is  by 
many  considered  to  be  the  only  food  which  produces  entirely  satis¬ 
factory  results,  and  there  is  no  doubt,  that  the  large  quantity  of  it  that 
is  used  is  a  proof  of  its  excellent  qualities.  Mr.  H.  A.  Cathcart,  who 
recently  managed  the  poultry  at  Birdsall,  Lord  Middleton’s  place  in 
Yorkshire,  in  an  article  in  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society’s  Journal, 
tells  us  that  he  concocted  a  feeding  mixture  of  sharps,  oatmeal, 
barleymeal,  and  very  finely  chopped  hay,  containing  only  soft  and 
young  grass.  “  The  hay,”  he  thought,  “  would  act  in  a  similar  way 
to  the  husk  of  cereals,  but  would  be  more  easily  digested  by  the 
fowls,  and  contain  more  nourishment.  In  mixing,  the  hay  was  first 
steamed  for  about  twelve  hours,  so  that  it  was  quite  soft  when  mixed 
with  the  meal.  This  mixture  seemed  to  be  much  appreciated  by  the 
fowls,  and  was  very  much  cheaper  than  Sussex  ground  oats.  As  Mr. 
Cathcart  was  very  successful  in  his  fattening,  it  is  also  important  to 
note  that  he  used  no  milk  other  than  fresh,  and  strictly  tabooed  the 
sour  milk,  so  strongly  recommended  in  many  quarters.  He  also 
warns  poultry  feeders  against  overcramming,  especially  during  the 
first  few  days.  It  is  flesh  that  is  required,  not  internal  fat  ;  and  the 
bird  must  have  sufficient  time  given  it  wherein  to  lay  on  this  flesh. 
The  general  conclusion  we  come  to  is,  that  a  bird  may  be  kept  in 
confinement  and  fed  on  flesh-forming  foods  naturally  administered  for 
three  or  four  weeks,  and  the  cramming  process  with  more  fat-forming 
food  reserved  for  the  last  ten  or  twelve  days. 
Work  on  the  Home  Farm. 
Last  week  we  had  received  sufficient  rain  for  present  needs,  but  no 
more.  Since  then  we  have  had  two  really  good  and  copious  rains,  and 
everything  is  satisfied.  Even  the  Potato  ridges  must  have  been  fairly 
soaked,  and  will  require  no  more  moisture  at  present.  Despondent 
spirits  are  already  prophesying  a  wet  harvest.  Fortunately,  they  know 
little  about  it,  and  the  weather  is  e’en  now  giving  them  the  lie  by 
settling  quietly  down  again,  as  if  for  another  hot  spell.  As  usual,  when 
harvest  is  near  the  rain  has  had  a  ripening  effect  on  the  Barley,  and 
must  have  done  an  immense  amount  of  good  to  the  quality  of  it.  The 
sight  of  a  laid  patch  is  so  rare  that  it  must  be  a  fine  time  for  the  self- 
binders.  Though  not  on  the  heavy  side,  the  Barleys  about  here  seem 
to  have  hit  a  very  happy,  and  what  should  be  a  profitable  medium,  if  we 
should  be  fortunate  enough  to  harvest  them  well. 
Much  less  has  been  heard  as  to  the  diamond-backs,  and  the 
visitation  iB  certainly  much  slighter  than  that  of  1891.  Accounts  of 
the  Turnips  are  generally  much  brighter,  and  we  hope  our  original 
forecast  may  be  correct  at  last.  At  any  rate,  they  have  all  come 
quickly  enough  to  the  hoe,  and  there  should  be  no  belated  work 
amongst  Turnips  during  harvest  time. 
We  cannot  say  the  same  about  Mangold,  for  one  or  two  of  our 
neighbours  are  busy  striking  out  now  the  plants  which  did  not 
germinate  until  the  midsummer  rains.  The  work  is  being  done  with 
6-iuch  hoes  to  leave  them  fairly  thick,  for  they  have  not  time  now  to 
get  very  large,  and  three  small  ones  must  try  to  get  as  big  as  two  large 
ones.  The  second  singling  and  weeding  will  be  rather  troublesome, 
for  it  must  be  done  before  the  harvest  is  in. 
The  horses  have  not  had  muoh  midsummer  rest,  but  it  has  been 
possible  to  turn  away  the  three-year-olds.  What  with  skerrying  and 
coal  leading  there  is  regular  work  for  all  those  which  are  still  up.  Coal 
prices  are  held  up  too  high  by  the  merchants  to  encourage  farmers  to 
lay  in  large  stocks,  and  the  general  coal  carting,  so  much  in  evidenoe  in 
most  years,  has  this  season  been  hardly  notioeable. 
Lambs  have  been  left  with  their  dams  longer  than  usual,  but  have 
now  been  separated,  the  ewes  being  removed  to  a  distance  and  to  a  very 
bare  pasture,  a  thing  not  difficult  to  provide.  The  lambs  will  have  to 
remain  on  the  old  pastures  for  some  time,  there  being  no  change  of  food 
available  yet. 
- - 
Canada’s  Crops. — Reports  received  at  Winnipeg  from  all  parts  of 
Manitoba  and  the  Territories  indicate  that  the  crops  in  those  parts 
average  40  to  50  bushels  of  Wheat  per  acre  in  many  localities.  Mr. 
Cassell,  the  warehouse  commissioner,  estimates  the  total  yield  at 
60,000,000  bushels.  Mr.  M’Innis,  assistant  traffic  manager  of  the 
Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  places  it  at  55,000,000  bushels,  while  Mr. 
T.  F.  Bready,  a  grain  dealer,  who  is  regarded  as  an  authority,  puts  it 
up  to  65,000,000.  It  has  been  a  wonderfully  good  season  for  the  West. 
There  are  40,000  farmers  now  in  the  West,  and  it  will  take  at  least 
25,000  harvest  labourers  to  gather  the  crop,  which  is  heavy  and  thick, 
and  at  least  8,000,000  lbs.  of  binder  twine  will  be  required. 
