166 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  15,  1901. 
milk  ;  another  provides  Potatoes  and  Celery  for  the  multitude  ;  another 
pins  his  faith  on  a  Shorthorn,  or  some  other  well  defined  bovine  race; 
another  hangs  to  the  Shire  ;  another  prefers  wool  and  mutton ;  all 
have  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  given  up  Wheat  growing  ;  some  whose 
land  favours  the  production  see  that  they  have  acre  upon  acre  of  best 
malting  Barley ;  and  so  on  we  might  continue  the  list  ad  infinitum, 
but  all  are  agreed  on  one  point,  and  that  is  whatever  crops  they  grow, 
whether  for  sale  or  home  consumption,  the  waste  to  the  land  must  be 
made  good  by  plentiful  dressings  of  good  manures.  The  natural  form 
of  manure  is  the  waste  product  of  the  animal  creation,  but  not  being 
content  with  a  two-fold  return,  we  supplement  that  by  a  variety  of 
highly  stimulating  manufactured  tillages  ;  but  still,  when  all  is  done, 
there  is  not  one  better  than  good  farmyard  “muck.”  To  produce  that 
manure,  and  to  make  the  best  of  “  home  growths,”  stock  is  needed, 
and  to  hear  of  a  farmer  who  farms  successfully  without  stock,  is  like 
hearing  of  a  builder  making  a  house  without  bricks. 
We  are  always  open  to  conviction,  and  wo  try  to  read  with 
unprejudiced  mind,  and  to  us  the  account  of  a  farm  in  Hertfordshire, 
described  by  Mr.  Rider  Haggard,  is  most  interesting.  We  have 
referred  to  his  articles  before,  and  shall  again  and  again,  if  we  are 
spared.  He  sets  before  us,  in  clear,  concise  language,  a  series  of 
pictures  of  farms  and  farm  management  in  this  pleasant  country  of 
ours.  To  some  of  us  the  districts  are  familiar,  to  us  all  they  present 
many  points  of  interest.  The  farm  in  question  is  called  Blount’s 
Farm,  Sawbridgeworth,  the  owner  Mr.  Prout.  The  experiment  is  no 
new  one,  it  has  been  going  on  since  1861.  When  taken  in  hand  by 
the  father  of  the  present  owner,  the  farm  was  in  shocking  condition, 
undrained  (the  land  is  strong),  with  small  fields  and  untidy,  uselessly 
big  fences.  Draining  would  come  first;  indeed,  we  are  sorry  to  say 
our  experience  of  strong  land  is  that  it  comes  first,  last,  and  in  the 
middle  too.  Small  fields  are  always  wasteful.  Hedges  or  fences  were 
taken  down,  and  the  fields  average  30  or  40  acres  apiece.  Cereals, 
Clover,  Beans,  with  Mangolds  for  the  twelve  horses,  are  what  Mr. 
Prout  grows,  and  every  year  everything  is  sold  off  the  land  that  it 
produces,  nor  is  the  grain  and  straw  replaced  by  imported  manure 
(muck).  How  is  this  done?  In  1865  samples  of  the  land  were  submitted 
to  Dr.  Augustus  Yoelcker,  who  pointed  out  what  elements  should  be 
added  from  time  to  time  to  insure  the  permanent  fertility  of  the  land 
while  producing  successive  crops  of  cereals.  Added  to  this  treatment, 
the  land  was  thoroughly  drained  and  well  worked — and  what  is  the 
result  ?  In  1877  the  soil  was  again  analysed,  and  found  to  be  richer 
than  it  was  in  1865,  and  this  after  constant  Corn  crops,  and  with  every 
stalk  of  straw  sold  off.  This  system  is  still  going  on,  and  the  yield 
does  not  lessen  by  a  single  bushel.  Now  for  a  few  figures.  Take  the 
year  1895.  The  average  production  of  Wheat  that  year  was — Hert¬ 
fordshire  :  Wheat,  26  and  a  fraction  bushels ;  Barley,  29  ;  Oats,  35. 
Lincolnshire  :  Wheat,  32  ;  Barley,  35 ;  Oats,  51.  Total  average  of 
Wheat  for  Great  Britain,  28.  Now  for  that  year  Blount’s  Farm  works 
out  thus  : — Wheat,  36  bushels ;  Barley,  40 ;  Oats,  40  ;  Beans,  32,  per 
acre.  That  this  is  not  an  exceptional  year  will  be  proved  when  we 
state  that,  for  over  a  period  of  seventeen  years,  the  average  has  been — 
Wheat,  36  bushels  ;  Barley,  40  bushels  per  acre. 
rlhe  analysis  of  the  soil  showed  that  it  contained  all  elements 
necessary  to  the  growth  of  cereals  excepting  phosphates  and  ammonia, 
and  these  Mr.  Prout  supplies.  After  Wheat  is  sown,  which  he  gets 
in  as  early  in  September  as  possible,  in  January  he  gives  the  land 
4  cwts.  of  mineral  superphosphate  per  acre,  and  in  the  middle  of 
April  about  1£  cwt.  of  nitrate  of  soda  per  acre.  Now  to  insure  a 
good  crop  both  these  dressings  are  needed,  the  one  supplements  the 
other.  Steam  cultivation  is  extensively  used  on  this  farm,  and  it  is 
thoroughly  well  done.  Wheat  is  steeped  for  twenty-four  hours  in  a 
solution  of  bluestone,  which  proves  a  thorough  preventive  of  smut. 
Nitrate  of  soda  and  constant  rolling  keep  the  wireworm  completely 
in  control.  The  manure  produced  by  the  twelve  horses  is  used  for 
the  growth  of  Beans  and  Mangolds.  In  bygone  days  the  grain  crops 
used  to  be  sold  standing,  the  buyer  taking  the  risks  of  harvesting,  &c. 
This  is  no  longer  done,  and  Mr.  Prout  sells  the  Corn  in  the  ordinary 
way,  the  straw  by  auction.  Mr.  Rider  Haggard  assures  us  that  Mr. 
Prout  is  farming  at  a  profit.  This  system  could  not  be  carried  out  in 
remote  districts,  as  there  would  be  no  market  for  the  straw,  fodder, 
&c.,  and  the  cost  of  conveyance  to  the  consumer  would  take  all  the 
profit.  There  must  be  cheap  and  easy  transit.  Then,  again,  it  is 
most  difficult  to  get  men  out  of  the  old  ruts  (we  refer  to  the  labourers); 
they  set  their  faces  as  a  body  against  any  innovation,  and  without 
their  co-operation  the  farmer  is  lost.  We  remember  a  case  which 
came  under  our  own  observation,  where  a  farmer  coming  into  a  new 
neighbourhood  commenced  Potato  growing.  Not  only  did  the 
farmers  disapprove,  but  the  men  hated  the  job,  and  threw  every 
possible  obstacle  in  the  way  ;  their  ingenuity  was  wonderful,  and  it 
took  years  of  patience  to  overcome  their  objections. 
We  should  like,  if  we  do  not  weary  our  readers,  to  give  the  facts 
and  figures  relating  to  three  fields,  as  seen  by  Mr.  Rider  Haggard  this 
year,  and  the  reader  must  please  remember  (we  do  not  many  of  us 
forget)  that  this  has  been  a  season  of  drought. 
Field  No.  I. — Barley  sown  April  19  th,  dressed  before  sowing  with 
3  cwt.  mineral  superphosphate  and  1  cwt.  guano ;  on  May  14th  1  cwt. 
of  nitrate.  Total  cost,  £1  5s.  per  acre.  Crop  splendid  in  colour,  thick 
and  level. 
Field  No.  II. — Brookfield.  Oats  after  Barley  ;  steam  ploughed. 
Drilled  October  5th  with  3  pecks  per  acre  black  winter  Oats ;  January 
25th,  4  cwts.  superphosphate ;  April  19th,  1£  cwt.  nitrate  per  acre. 
Field  No.  III. — Beadles  Top.  Wheat  after  Oats  ;  steam  ploughed. 
Drilled  October  30th  with  8  pecks  per  acre  white  chaff,  Browick. 
Dressed  January  23rd  with  4  cwt.  mineral  superphosphate,  and  on 
April  9th  with  1|  cwt.  nitrate  per  acre ;  May  3rd,  10  lbs.  per  acre, 
Clover  seed  cross-drilled  among  the  Wheat.  The  Wheats  throughout 
the  farm  were  tall  and  of  a  rich  good  colour. 
Work  on  the  Home  Farm. 
We  had  hardly  time  to  think  about  harvest  before  we  were  in  the 
midst  of  it,  and  now  there  will  be  no  stops  except  for  weather.  The 
latter,  however,  has  taken  a  showery  turn,  and  is  sufficiently  catchy  to 
be  awkward  for  the  binders.  These  are  now  practically  universal,  and 
except  for  opening  out,  the  scythe  is  not  used.  We  have  not  seen  a 
hand-bound  field  of  Corn  this  season  so  far.  What  a  revolution  it  has 
been  !  The  appearance  of  the  stooked  crops  is  decidedly  satisfactory 
for  so  dry  a  season,  but  though  Wheat  may  turn  out  well,  Barley  is 
small,  which  must  spoil  the  yield.  The  samples  of  grain  ears  in  the  farm 
produce  classes  at  the  local  show  were  far  below  the  average,  in  fact  a 
judge  remarked  that  they  denoted  a  poor  outlook  for  farmers.  Nearly  all 
the  Corn  is  ready  for  cutting,  and  fine  weather  is  very  desirable. 
The  Turnip  crop  improves  every  day,  but  weeds  keep  growing  with 
the  showery  weather,  and  there  is  plenty  of  weeding  still  to  do.  The 
men  set  free  by  the  use  of  binders  will  be  fully  employed  amongst 
Turnips  until  there  is  Corn  ready  for  stacking. 
It  is  evident  that  Turnip  prospects  are  rising  in  the  estimation  of 
farmers,  for  at  our  annual  lamb  fair  there  was  both  a  very  small  show 
and  a  strong  demand,  consequently  prices  were  5s.  higher  than  last 
year,  and  30s.  per  head  a  fairly  common  figure.  Perhaps  the  large 
profit  made  last  year  between  midsummer  and  Michaelmas  may  have 
more  to  do  with  the  brisk  trade  than  the  appearance  of  the  Turnips 
has,  but  we  fail  to  see  much  prospect  of  plunder  out  of  lambs  just  now, 
and  we  think  caution  advisable,  unless  the  purchaser  is  the  possessor  of 
much  old  grass  and  fog. 
Seeds  are  very  bare,  and  the  land  is  too  hard  to  plough  for  Wheat, 
even  if  the  pasturage  oould  have  been  spared.  One  compensation  that 
we  had  for  wet  seasons  and  late  harvests  was  a  good  stale  seed-bed  for 
the  following  year’s  Wheat  crop. 
There  is  no  Clover  amongst  the  Barley  to  make  harvesting  difficult, 
not  enough,  in  fact,  for  exposure  of  the  surface  reveals  a  very  scanty 
plant.  When  old  seeds  are  dried  up  and  almost  killed  it  is  not  surprising 
that  the  young  plants  succumb. 
All  kinds  of  pigs  are  yet  scarce  and  dear.  This  is  the  most  sustained 
boom  in  the  trade  that  we  can  recall.  We  suppose  the  slump  cannot 
be  far  off  now.  There  will  not  be  a  great  supply  of  pig  Potatoes, 
though  offal  Corn  may  be  plentiful.  When  farmers  possess  pig  food 
they  must  have  pigs’  mouths  to  eat  it. 
Progress  In  Agriculture. — Although  Western  Australia  cannot 
yet  boast  of  the  enormous  areas  under  cereal  cultivation  to  be  met  with 
in  the  Eastern  States,  yet  the  growth  of  this  industry  is  most 
encouraging,  and  the  liberal  conditions  offered  by  the  land  laws  of  the 
State  will  doubtless  eventuate  in  greatly  increased  settlement  and 
production  in  the  near  future.  During  the  season  just  ended,  the 
returns  show  that  70,923  acres  were  under  Wheat,  and  this  area 
produced  751,305  bushels  of  Wheat,  or  an  average  of  10'59  bushels  per 
aore,  whioh  is  slightly  under  the  average  of  the  State  for  the  past  four 
years.  These  figures  show  the  conditions  here  are  in  every  way 
favourable  for  the  cultivation  of  Wheat,  and  the  fact  of  the  area  under 
cultivation  increasing  from  31,489  in  the  year  1897,  indicates  that  the 
suitability  of  the  soil  and  climate  for  agricultural  pursuits  has  not  been 
overlooked.  The  crops  of  Oats  and  Barley  have  been  equally 
encouraging,  as  the  last  returns  to  hand  show  that  3940  acres  of  Oats 
returned  73,556  bushels,  or  an  average  of  1867  bushels  per  acre,  and 
3,885  acres  of  Barley  yielded  56,587  bushels,  or  an  average  of 
14  57  bushels  per  acre. 
Feeding  Value  Wiiey  and  Skim  Milk. — Whey  has  less  value 
than  skim  milk,  because  some  of  the  ash  has  been  removed  with  the 
oasein  in  making  cheese.  Skim  milk  is  commonly  valued  at  15o.  per 
100  lbs.  for  feeding  calves  and  pigs.  Director  Henry  of  the  Wisconsin 
experimental  station,  in  ten  trials  found  that  760  lbs.  whey  would  equal 
100  lbs.  for  corn  meal  and  shorts  by  partial  substitution,  thus  being  worth 
8c.  to  10c.  per  100  lbs.  with  this  feed  at  12  dols.  to  15  dole,  per  ton 
respectively.  The  following  analysis  is  given  by  Prof  Harry  Snyder:  — 
Water,  lbs  . 
COMPOSITION  OF  100  LBS.  OF 
Cow’s  milk.  Skim  milk. 
...  87-50  90  25 
Butter  milk. 
90-50 
Whey. 
93-00 
Fat  ... 
3-50  0-20 
0-20 
0-35 
Casein  and  albumin 
3-25  3-60 
3-30 
0-80 
Sugar . 
5-00  5-15 
5-30 
5-20 
Ash  . 
0-75  0-80 
0-70 
0-65 
