IPO 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  23,  1900. 
a  very  certaio  crop  on  any  soil  ol  average  strength,  and  they 
often  make  a  good  price  when  thrashed  early  in  August  when 
Oats  are  scarce.  The  early  farmer  bird  often  gets  a  fat  worm  in 
this  way. 
Beans  and  Peas  are  not  so  much  grown  as  they  once  were ;  they 
appear  generally  to  he  below  the  average,  especially  Peas,  which  have 
suffered  much  from  drought. 
The  early  Potatoes  seem  to  have  suffered  from  drought  a’so,  hut 
the  main  crop  varieties  as  a  rule  are  well  spoken  of,  and  promis-e,  unless 
disease  makes  an  unwelcome  appearance,  to  prove  a  full  average  crop. 
The  recent  rains  have  baen  just  what  Potatoes  wanted,  and  all  that 
they  required  to  bring  them  to  maturity.  We  imagine  that  reports 
on  this  crop  now  would  rise  to  a  very  high  standard.  As  the  British 
crop,  when  a  full  one,  is  more  than  equal  to  the  demands  of  the  home 
markets,  we  venture  to  forecast  a  season  of  low  prices. 
Of  the  root  crops  Turnips,  though  the  prospect  is  below  the 
average,  are  much  more  promising  than  twelve  months  ago — 25  per 
cent,  cf  the  reports  are  below  the  average,  and  seventeen  above. 
Many  of  the  adverse  ones  gave  hope  of  a  fair  crop  in  the  event  of 
sufficient  rain  falling.  As  the  latter  contingency  has  been  fulfilled 
the  former  should  be  also.  Mangolds  are  goo  1,  almost  without 
exception,  and  will  be  of  great  value  whatever  the  Turnip  crop  may 
prove  to  be. 
The  virtues  of  early  sowing  and  good  farming  are  once  more 
brought  to  our  notice,  as  the  following  extracts  will  show.  “Oats 
above  average  where  seed  was  carefully  selected.”  “  Early  spring 
sorts  a  tair  crop,  late  sown  have  suffered  from  drought.”  “  Oats, 
fair  crop  where  sown  ea.rly.”  “A  good  average  with  the  exception 
of  some  late  sown.”  Turnips  :  “  Early  sown  sorts  which  escaped  the 
fly  are  very  gooi;  late  sown  poor.”  Wheat  “sown  on  well  farmed 
lands  in  October  nearly  an  average ;  where  sown  a  month  or  six  weeks 
later  will  be  much  under  average.”  “Barley  good  average  wheie 
sown  early  and  the  land  well  done.”  “  Wheat  ears  seem  well  filled 
up  and  fairly  good  where  the  land  is  farmed  well,  otherwise  very 
thin.” 
Taking  the  country  as  a  whole  we  notice  that  the  northern  counties 
stand  in  a  much  more  favourable  position  than  the  south,  and 
particularly  in  regard  to  the  condition  of  their  root  crops.  This  is  no 
doubt  owing  to  the  moister  conditions  which  have  favoured  the  north 
of  England,  though  these  same  districts  may  have  suffered  most  from 
the  late  tempestuous  weather,  and  therefore  may  have  lately  lost  some 
of  the  advantage  which  they  had  gained. 
Keviewing  the  year’s  crops  as  a  whole,  and  the  farmer’s  prospect 
of  paying  his  way,  we  think  there  is  cause  for  neither  regret  nor 
rejoicing.  The  crops  are  fair,  if  not  good,  and  if  harvest  weather  be 
now  favourable  to  secure  them  in  the  best  possible  condition  without 
serious  waste,  it  will  go  far  towards  securing  a  fair  market  for  them 
Price  is  the  great  factor,  and  if  the  farmer  can  make  sure  of  30  per 
cent,  per  quarter  for  his  Wheat  and  Barley,  and  20  per  cent,  for  his 
Oats,  we  think  he  will  have  a  fair  year. 
Prospects  are  very  bright  for  holders  of  live  stock,  for  keep  must 
be  plentiful,  and  there  is  not  likely  to  be  a  slump  in  meal  for  som  ■ 
time  to  come.  The  price  of  wool  is  the  one  blot  in  the  escutcheon. 
•  Work  on  tlie  Home  Farm. 
Last  week  we  wrote  after  a  deluge  but  in  hope  of  finer  weather. 
Two  more  pouring  wet  days  seemed  to  exhaust  the  clouds,  and  since 
then  the  weather  has  been  beautiful. 
Very  great  headway  has  been  made  since  haivest  work  again  became 
possible.  Binders  are  at  work  in  every  direction  and  carting  has 
already  commenced.  So  far  we  have  not  seen  a  field  of  corn  tied  up 
by  hand,  and  are  looking  out  for  one  as  a  curiosity.  There  are  rumours 
of  scythes  being  at  work,  but  it  is  only  a  case  where  a  crop  is  very 
heavy  and  badly  laid  that  a  farmer  allows  himself  to  think  of  hiring 
mowers  even  if  he  can  get  them.  We  hear  that  Irish  labourers  are  with 
ns,  but  have  not  seen  one  yet.  What  should  we  do  now  without  binders  H 
'  Crops  are  cutting  up  light  on  the  whole  ;  the  stooks  are  far  apart,  and 
it  would  require  no  great  athlete  to  clear  one  at  a  bound.  The  stacks 
which  we  have  seen  are  small  in  proportion  to  the  acreage  cleared,  and 
the  leading  will  not  be  a  very  tedious  job. 
Farmers  will  be  anxious  to  get  their  corn  safely  in  the  stack, 
but  in  this  season  of  short  string-bound  sheaves  they  must  not  get  it 
too  soon,  neither  must  they  be  careless  how  they  put  it  together  in  the 
stack.  Men  are  scarce,  and  scarcer  still  are  good  stackers.  It  is  of  no 
use  making  a  stack  pretty  in  shape  if  it  will  not  turn  rain,  and  the 
middle  must  be  well  filled  in  from  the  first.  A  well  made  stack  always 
slopes  well  from  the  centre  and  is  rather  insecure  for  men  to  stand 
on  who  are  not  accustomed  to  the  work.  This  is  especially  the  case 
when  it  is  being  roofed  up,  for  then  the  man  standing  at  the  eaves 
taking  sheaves  from  the  teamer  should  not  be  able  to  see  the  man 
above  to  whom  he  forks  them.  A  roof  well  made  will  require  little 
thatching. 
In  relation  to  the  danger  of  stacking,  are  all  farmers  aware  that  they 
are  responsible  for  accidents  to  their  men  ?  and  though  a  farm  labourer’s 
life  is  not  a  risky  one,  the  stacking  and  thatching  periods  are  times 
when  a  slip  may  lead  to  serious  consequences  both  to  master  and 
man.  Insurance  may  be  had  for  a  trifle,  and  we  commend  this  to  our 
readers. 
Lambs  in  some  parts  are  as  usual  showing  signs  of  weak  health^ 
The  wet  weather  and  sudden  changes  of  temperature  have  had  a  bad 
effect.  Lung  disease  is  prevalent,  some  farmers  have  lost  10  per  cent, 
and  wholesale  drinking  is  the  rule  rather  than  the  exception.  A  “  vet.” 
who  has  a  large  practice  amongst  lambs  tells  us  that  the  disease  sets  in 
earlier  on  some  farms  than  others,  and  that  when  Mr.  A  calls  him  in 
he  knows  Mr.  B  will  send  for  him  in  about  a  week.  Mr.  B.  being  duly 
warned  can  now  drench  his  lambs  as  a  preventive  and  so  ward  off  the 
attack  altogether. 
- 4^ - ^ 
Kentlsb  Hop  Prospects. — Many  of  the  Hop  grounds  in  Mid-Kent, 
which  is  the  centre  of  the  Hop-growing  industry,  suffered  greatly  from 
the  gale  of  a  fortnight  ago,  and  it  is  feared  that  the  Hop  crop  generally 
in  Mid  and  West  Kent  will  not  exceed  half  of  last  year’s  yield.  In 
some  grounds  the  results  will  scarcely  repay  the  expense  of  picking. 
In  most  of  the  fields  work  will  commence  a  week  later  than  last 
season. 
Harvesting  by  Moonlight. —  The  unusual  sight  of  harvesting  by 
moonlight  has  been  witnessed  in  South  Lincolnshire.  Labour  is  so 
scarce  that  the  men  cannot  be  spared  to  gather  in  their  own  allotment 
crops  during  the  day,  and  some  have  consequently  gathered  them  by 
the  light  of  the  moon.  Many  men  have  been  seen  working  in  the  fields 
until  nearly  midnight.  On  some  farms,  too,  harvesting  has  also  been 
carried  on  at  night. 
A.  Coming  Insecticide. — Professor  L.  H.  Bailey  says  : — Arsenite 
of  lime  has  the  threefold  advantage  of  being  cheap,  the  amount  of 
arsenic  is  under  perfect  control  and  it  does  not  burn  the  foliage.  It  is 
made  by  boiling  together  for  forty-five  minutes  1  lb.  white  arsenic,  2  lbs. 
fresh  lime,  1  gallon  water.  This  may  be  kept  in  a  tight  vessel  and 
used  as  desired.  Thoroughly  stir  the  material  before  using.  For  most 
insects  1  quart  of  the  above  per  barrel  will  be  sufficient.  Arsenite  of 
lime  is  insoluble  in  water  and  will  not  injure  the  foliage  of  any  orchard 
fruit  at  this  strength.  This  insecticide  is  growing  in  popularity.  Some 
green  dye  stuff  should  be  mixed  with  it  to  prevent  the  ever  present 
danger  of  mistaking  it  for  some  other  material. 
Foot  and  Month  Disease  In  Wales. — The  Board  of  Agriculture 
is  taking  extraordinary  precautions  to  prevent  the  spread  of  foot  and 
mouth  disease  from  Llewellyn  Farm,  Flintshire.  Everyone  leaving  the 
farm  has  to  put  his  boots  in  carbolic  acid;  and  recently,  after  eight 
Chester  butchers  had  been  for  some  hours  engaged  in  slaughtering  the 
whole  of  the  live  stock  on  the  farm — twenty-five  head  of  cattle,  twelve 
pigs,  and  sixty  sheep — they  were  required  to  divest  themselves  of  all 
their  clothing,  and  the  garments  were  then  burnt,  and  the  men  supplied 
with  fresh  suits.  Meanwhile  the  slaughtered  stock  was  buried  in  a 
trench  7  feet  deep.  An  area  in  the  pirish  of  Rhuddlan,  Flintshire,  has 
been  declared  to  bo  infected  with  foot  and  mouth  disease. 
Farm  Crops  Destroyed  by  Fire.— The  Chester  Fire  Brigade 
were  engaged  on  Friday  in  extinguishing  a  fire  on  the  farmstead  of 
Mrs.  Willis  of  Hatton,  near  Chester,  when  damage  was  done  estimated 
at  £2500.  The  brigade  found  the  entire  range  of  farm  buildings, 
120  feet  long,  fully  ablaze,  and  before  the  flames  could  be  extinguished 
tons  of  hay  and  fodder  of  this  season’s  crop  and  many  valuable 
implements  and  farm  buildings  were  completely  destrojed.  The  pre¬ 
mises  of  Everitts,  Ltd.,  corn  and  coke  merchants,  Oulton  Broad,  near 
Lowestoft,  consisting  of  capacious  granaries,  in  which  were  stored 
quantities  of  corn,  were  destroyed  on  Friday  morning  by  fire,  together 
with  the  elevator  and  engine  house.  The  damage  is  estimated  at 
over  £7000. 
