332 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  20,  1899. 
Objection  may  be  made,  and  no  doubt  with  some  reason,  that 
animals  as  well  as  men  do  not  alwaj’s  know  what  is  best  for  them  • 
but  the  palate  is  a  fairly  safe  guide,  and  food  that  is  attractive  to  the 
taste,  if  taken  in  moderation,  will  be  generally  beneficial  to  the  system, 
human  or  otherwise.  We  may  therefore  accept  as  a  general  rule  or 
axiom  that  the  foods  which  farm  animals  prefer,  if  allowed  in  modera¬ 
tion — i.e.,  in  fixed  and  regular  rations,  with  proper  change  and 
variety — will  prove  to  be  ihe  most  productive  of  gord  health  and 
rapid  progress  to  maturity,  and  therefore  the  most  lucrative  to  the 
farmer. 
Yet  there  are  farmers,  and  plenty  of  them,  who  will  insist  on 
their  flocks  and  herds  eating  woody  and  woolly  Swedes  and  Turnips, 
woody  Swedes  of  the  green-top  varieties,  because,  forsooth,  they  are 
less  liable  to  frost  when  left  out  unstored  through  a  severe  winter; 
and  woolly  common  Turnips,  either  half-rotted  by  frost  or  half  run  to 
seed  by  mild  weather,  when,  if  they  so  chose,  the  animals  might  be 
enjoying  and  thriving  on  good  yellow-fleshed  Swedes  or  sweet  and 
luscious  Mangolds  from  the  pies. 
It  is  really  wonderful  to  travel  round  some  districts  and  see 
scarcely  one  pie  of  either  Swedes  or  Mangolds  ;  a  largo  number  of 
farmers  never  attempt  to  grow  the  latter,  they  would  as  soon  begin  to 
grow  Cabbage,  which  they  would  consider  akin  to  market  gardening, 
and  therefore  infinitely  beneath  them. 
When  we  remember  that  pied  Mangold  may  be  used  for  any  kind 
of  stock  from  January  1st  to  September  30th,  or  lor  a  period  of  nine 
months ;  that  IMangold  is  the  best  food  for  the  ewes  during  the  lambing 
season  :  useful  for  all  kinds  of  cattle,  but  invaluable  for  dairy  cows ; 
an  excellent  addition  to  the  winter  food  of  horses ;  by  far  the  best 
food  to  give  with  corn  to  store  pigs  during  summer;  and,  if  not  con¬ 
sumed  by  the  beginning  of  July,  greedily  eaten  by  lambs  recently 
weaned,  we  can  only  marvel  at  the  obstinacy  of  those  who  persistently 
refuse  to  grow  it. 
We  have  increased  our  acreage  of  Mangold,  and  tried  to  grow  more 
than  we  could  consume,  but  have  never  arrived  at  the  latter  point  yet. 
We  have  after  a  fine  Turnip  season  had  the  whole  of  our  Mangold  lelt  in 
hand  at  Lady  Day,  but  the  pigs  and  the  lambs  were  always  equal  to 
the  occasion,  and  we  have  never  yet  known  any  to  be  wasted. 
Seeing,  then,  that  this  is  such  a  useful  crop,  it  is  surely  worthy  of 
a  little  extra  effort  and  expense  to  produce.  We  are  wrong  in  speaking 
of  extra  effort,  there  is  none  needed  if  the  land  has  been  treated  as  it 
should  have  been  in  autumn  and  winter. 
All  that  is  required,  apart  from  thorough  manuring,  is  a  clean  good 
tilth.  The  land  having  been  fairly  cleaned  in  autumn,  and  had  its 
proper  ploughing  in  early  winter  and  early  spring,  should  be  ready  for 
a  Mangold  crop  as  soon  as  it  is  wanted.  Of  course,  if  the  land  be  foul 
and  the  ploughing  has  been  scamped,  there  will  be  the  usual  plea  that  it 
is  not  suitable  for  Mangold,  and  the  farmer  will  have  another  few 
weeks  wherein  to  get  it  ready,  or  perhaps  half  ready  for  Swedes  or 
Turnips.  He  will  get  what  he  considers  a  satisfactory  crop  of  one  or 
other  of  these,  but  one  that  is  not  worth  half  a  good  crop  of  Mangold. 
All  soils,  except  very  bad  blowing  sand  and  very  thin  chalk,  will 
grow  Mangold,  but  those  it  most  delights  in  are  deep  loams  and  peats. 
Strong  soils  grow  it  well,  but  require  more  care  and  foresight  in  the 
preparation. 
In  dry  springs  it  is  advisable  to  soak  the  seeds  for  twenty-four 
hours  before  drilling,  but  as  there  has  recently  been  ample  rain,  there 
will  hardly  be  any  necessity  for  doing  so  this  year.  From  5  to  7  lbs. 
of  seed  are  required  for  an  acre,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  tilth 
and  the  prospects  of  germination. 
Ten  to  fifteen  loads  per  acre  of  decayed  manure  make  a  sound 
foundation  of  food  for  the  plants,  though  Mangold  may  he  grown  on 
good  soil  without  muck  at  all.  The  manure  must  be  well-decayed, 
not  dry  and  strawy.  The  latter  sort  will  do  more  harm  than  good, 
and  rather  than  use  it  you  had  better  use  none. 
With  good  muck  we  should  not  advise  more  than  3  or  4  cwt.  of 
superphosphate  per  acre,  but  without  muck  6  or  7.  In  any  case 
1  cwt.  per  acre  of  nitrate  of  soda  or  sulphate  of  ammonia  should  be 
fpplied  at  sowing  time  with  or  at  the  same  time  as  the  phosphate. 
If  no  muck  be  used  we  should  recommend  2  cwt.  of  sulphate  of 
ammonia  at  drilling  time. 
But  supposing  we  have  got  our  IMangold  drilled  and  rolled  down 
to  keep  m  the  moisture,  as  soon  as  the  young  plants  can  be  seen  in 
rows  they  must  be  side  hoed,  for  they  grow  rather  slowly  at  first  if 
the  nights  be  frosty,  and  weeds,  being  hardier,  are  apt  to  partly: 
smother  and  rob  them. 
Apart  from  the  cleaning  and  thinning,  which  require  no  description^ 
there  is  little  more  needed  except  the  top-dressing.  Some  farmers 
use  2  cwt.  of  nitrate  of  soda  after  the  plants  have  been  thinned,  but 
it  has  been  found  that  greater  advantage  is  derived  from  dividing  the- 
dressing  in  two,  giving  1  cwt.  immediately  after  striking  out,  and  the- 
other  three  weeks  later.  We  have  used  sulphate  of  ammonia  for  the- 
same  purpose,  and  put  it  all  on  at  once — i.e.,  at  the  earlier  period,  and. 
we  have  never  had  reason  to  be  dissatisfied  with  the  results. 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
The  heavy  rains  have  done  immense  good,  both  to  Wheat  and  early 
sown  Barley,  and  all  that  we  want  now  for  a  week  or  two  is  sunshine, 
and  as  we  write  the  whole  coirntry  is  bathed  in  it,  so  let  us  hope  that  it  is- 
the  forerunner  of  a  fine  season. 
If  old  saws  are  worth  anything  ve  are  in  for  a  warm  dry  season,  for 
the  wind  was  persistently  in  the  west  on  quarter  day,  and  thousands 
believe  in  the  quarter  day  forecast,  and  observe  it  accordingly.  Although 
no  believers  in  superstition,  we  are  ourselves  not  without  some  faith  in  it. 
Wheats  are  almost  too  thick,  and  must  be  thinned  by  harrow'ing. 
Barleys  can  be  Cambridge  rolled  where  they  are  big  enough,  and  the 
Clover  seeds,  if  yet  unsown,  may  be  sown  on  the  roller  seams.  A  flat 
roll  taken  over  the  land  will  then  cover  all  in  and  save  a  harrowing,, 
which,  however  carefully  and  lightly  done,  has  a  tendency  to  check  the 
Barley,  and  cause  an  unevenness  of  growth  and  consequent  loss  of. 
quality. 
The  severe  frost  caused  quite  a  rise  in  the  Potato  market,  and  a  very 
pleasant  one  to  those  who  had  any  stocks  left.  The  rise  in  price  of  20s. 
per  ton  had  the  effect  of  increasing  the  area  planted,  several  farmers  who- 
had  been  wavering  as  to  the  quantity  they  would  put  in  having  decided 
on  the  larger  one.  This  has  had  an  effect  on  the  seed  trade,  tubers  for 
planting  having  risen  proportionately  with  the  table  Potatoes.  It  is  still 
seasonable  for  planting,  but  April  we  think  quite  late  enough. 
Autumn  planted  Cabbages  should  now  be  making  good  growth.  If,, 
however,  they  do  not  progress  as  they  should,  100  to  200  lbs,  per  acre  of 
nitrate  of  soda,  sow’n  at  once,  will  soon  make  an  alteration.  Hares  and 
rabbits  are  partial  to  young  Cabbage  plants  ;  where  they  are  troublesome 
a  good  dressing  of  soot  (a  ton  on  3  acres)  sown  on  a  showery  day,  when 
the  soot  will  stick  to  the  leaves,  will  not  only  keep  the  little  pests  off,, 
but  snails  as  well,  besides  acting  as  a  not  to  be  despised  manure  for 
the  crop.  _ 
METEOROLOGICAL  OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden  Square,  London. 
Lat.  51°  32'  40"  N.;  Long.  0°  8'  0"  W.;  Altitude  111  feet. 
Date. 
9  A.M. 
In  the  Day. 
1899. 
09  C3  ^ 
w  o 
Hygrometer 
Direc¬ 
tion  of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of  soil 
at 
Shade  Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Tempera¬ 
ture. 
a 
‘S 
April. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
1  foot 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun 
On 
Grass 
Sunday  ....  9 
Monday  ....  10 
Tuesday  ....  11 
Wednesday  12 
Thursday  . .  13 
Friday .  14 
Saturday....  15 
inchs 
29-945 
deg. 
461 
deg. 
41-6 
W. 
deg. 
44-8 
deg. 
53-3 
deg. 
33-9 
deg. 
97-9 
deg. 
31-1 
inchs. 
0-354 
29-597 
52-2 
50-9 
W. 
45-9 
61-9 
44-4 
103-8 
44-2 
0-15a 
-29-720 
42-9 
40-4 
N.W. 
46-1 
50-9 
39-7 
96-9 
35-9 
— 
29-833 
41-4 
38-1 
W. 
44-9 
54-1 
32-1 
92-9 
-29-6 
0-028 
-29-179 
41-9 
40-9 
S. 
45-0 
49-1 
38-9 
72-2 
33-7 
0--293. 
28-950 
41-4 
41-0 
N.W. 
44-9 
49-5 
40-3 
78-7 
39-6 
0-166 
-29-265 
46-4 
43-7 
X.W. 
44-9 
53-6 
39-1 
95-6 
36-3 
— 
29-498 
44-0 
42-4 
45-2 
53-2 
38-3 
91-1 
35-8 
0-991 
REMARKS. 
9th. — Brilliant  morning  ;  cloudy  from  noon  ;  steady  rain  from  3.30  to  7  P.M.,  and 
showery  after.  -  ,  ,  r 
loth.— Steady  rain  till  5  a.m.,  and  showery  till  10  A. M.  ;  occasional  gleams  of  sun 
later:  heavy  rain  4  to  4.30  p.m.  ;  bright  night.  . 
11th.— Overcast  and  rainy  early  ;  sunny  from  10  A.M.,  but  occasional  flakes  of  we-t. 
snow. 
12th.— Bright  sun  all  morning,  a  little  hazy  after  noon.  ,  .  , 
13th. — Drizzly  and  rainy  from  early  morning  to  11  A.M.  ;  fair  day  with  some- 
sunshine  ;  rain  again  at  night.  _  .  . 
14th — Incessant  rain  till  11.15  a.m,,  fair  after  ;  ram  at  night. 
15th.— Rainy  till  4  A.M.  ;  pleasant  day,  with  some  sunshine. 
A  rainy  and  variable  week,  with  little  bright  sunshine.  Temperature  near 
the  average, — O.  J.  Symons. 
