576 
December  18,  1902. 
JOURNAL 
OF  HORTICULTURE  AND 
COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
We  are  sure  Ave  shall  carry  all  with  us  when  we  say 
Christmas  without  pig  would  be  but  a  sorry  Christmas. 
There  are  those,  and  many  of  them,  A\rho  cannot  afford  much 
of  the  beef  and  mutton  Avhich  go  to  make  the  Christmas 
feast ;  but  in  the  villages  there  are  few  who  do  not  kill  a 
pig  at  this  festive  season — indeed,  it  is  often  pig  galore. 
.He  does  make  plenty  in  the  house  ;  every  part  of  him  is 
available,  and  we  can  eat  him  be  he  ever  so  fat.  Pig  is 
pig  this  year,  dearer  than  we  have  known  him  for  long  ; 
but,  cheap  or  dear,  he  plays  a  prominent  part  in  the  bill  of 
fare.  What  of  all  the  other  luxuries,  the  turkeys,  the  geese, 
ducks,  and  fowls?  They  are  just  putting  on  their  last  layer 
of  flesh,  and  there  will  be  busy  times  for  the  housewives. 
Naturally  poultry  is  better  to  sell  dressed  than  in  the 
feathers,  but  the  work  of  dressing  and  trussing  is  no  small 
one  when  days  are  short  and  the  light  fails.  Town  folk 
have  little  idea  of  the  time  and  thought  and  money  that  has 
been  spent  as  they  pass  through  the  brilliant  markets  and 
make  their  choice  from  the  good  things  spread  out  before 
them. 
The  best  cheeses,  too,  are  kept  for  Christmas.  It  used 
to  be  the  fashion,  and  may  be  yet  (though  we  think  it  is  on 
the  decline)  of  presenting  friends  with  a  ripe  Stilton  or 
good  piece  of  Cheddar  or  Cheshire.  Wensleydale  is  a  cheese 
that  has  come  much  to  the  fore,  and  uncommonly  good  it 
is  ;  but,  like  all  other  good  cheeses,  it  must  be  allowed  to 
mature. 
We  will  go  back  to  our  beef  and  its  producers.  Fat  cattle 
shows  abound,  but  naturally  Smithfield  is  the  most  impor¬ 
tant,  though  Birmingham,  Avith  its  Bingley  Hall,  runs  it  very 
close.  Norwich,  we  believe,  in  point  of  date  comes  first,  then 
Birmingham,  then  London.  It  is  simply  marvellous  to  an  out¬ 
sider  the  amount  of  money,  the  value  of  the  cups  and  plates 
which  are  given  at  each  and  all  of  these  exhibitions.  They 
fulfil  their  aim,  however,  and  Ave  find  brought  together  the 
best  possible  stock  in  the  world.  We  said  His  Majesty  is 
an  exhibitor.  Yes,  at  Smithfield  during  last  week  he  was 
represented  by  no  less  than  tAventy-five  head  of  stock  from 
his  farms  at  Windsor  and  Sandringham.  Talk  of  Farmer 
George— it  is  Farmer  EdAvard.  And  again  there  is  a  Royal 
Gebrge  there.  The  Prince  is  following  in  his  father’s  steps, 
and  secured  a  second  with  his  red  polled  steer.  We  shall  see 
him  as  a  cup  Avinner  yet. 
What  exactly  has  His  Majesty  done  at  Smithfield?  For 
Hereford  steers,  not  exceeding  two  years  old,  he  takes  a 
first ;  also  the  breed  cup  and  the  cup  for  the  best  beast  not 
exceeding  tAvo  years  old.  For  the  steer  not  exceeding  three 
years  old,  first ;  for  shorthorn  steers,  first ;  for  shorthorn 
heifers,  not  older  than  three  years,  first  ;  breed  cup,  and 
reserve  cup  for  best  heifer;  Highland  breed:  Highland 
steer,  not  exceeding  three  years,  first,  and  a  second  for  an 
older  steer ;  then  again  a  second  and  a  third.  A  good 
record,  we  think. 
The  champion  plate,  the  King’s  challenge  cup,  the  cup 
for  the  best  heifer,  and  the  breed  cup  all  go  to 
Lord  Strathmore  and  Kinghorne  of  Glamis,  and  the  beauti- 
au  jAer  which  Avins  him  all  this  is  Layia  of  Glamis,  an 
Aberdeen  Angus.  She  thus  repeats  her  Birmingham  vic¬ 
tory.  There  she  won  for  her  fortunate  owner  silver  cup  for 
best  animal,  Messrs.  Elkington’s  challenge  cup,  Joseph 
Thorley’s  challenge  cup,  Messrs.  Webb’s  ditto,  and  also 
Messrs.  Tipper  and  Sons  challenge  prize,  and  the  Maismore 
Park  challenge  cup — five  cups  and  a  prize  at  Birmingham, 
and  in  London  her  class  and  breed  prize,  champion  plate, 
and  two  cups.  These  cross-bred  beasts  are  bad  to  beat. 
They  take  so  kindly  to  forcing,  and  come  to  the  ring  and 
afterwards  to  the  block  in  such  beautiful  condition.  No 
boiling  pieces  about  them. 
For  sheep  the  Leicester  prizes  go,  as  usual,  to  Ernest 
Jordan,  Driffield.  FV  e  wonder  hoAv  many  prizes  he  and  his 
late  father  secured  with  this  breed  ?  For  Lincolns,  Henry 
Dudding  is  to  the  fore,  and  he  Avrests  from  Mr.  Jordan  the 
challenge  plate  (£50)  for  long  wools.  One  man  did  not  live 
to  see  his  triumphs  Avith  Southdowns.  Colonel  McCalmont, 
Avhose  sudden  death  on  Monday  will  be  much  deplored, 
took  a  breed  cup  and  some  first,  second,  and  third  prizes. 
The  best  pig  man  at  Birmingham,  Mr.  A.  Brown,  was  also 
to  the  fore  at  Smithfield. 
In  the  Barley  competition  we  Avish  date  of  sowing  had 
been  givren.  We  generally  notice  that  it  is  the  earliest  sown 
Barley  that  comes  out  best  in  quality.  To  say  the  root 
^xhimts  were  like  wax  models  is  perhaps  to  disparage  them. 
V\  hat  we  mean  is  that  they  are  so  perfect  in  symmetry  and 
shape  as  to  grve  the  idea  of  being  all  cast  in  one  mould 
(that  is,  the  different  varieties). 
While  on  the  subject  of  roots  we  were  much  struck  by 
an  account  of  Turnip  growing  extraordinary,  in  the  “North 
British  Agriculturist  ”  of  November  26.  The  Stirling  Agri¬ 
cultural  Society  offer  prizes  for  roots  open  to  the  counties 
of  Stirling,  Dumbarton,  Clackmannan,  Kinross',  and  the 
Western  districts  of  Perth  and  Fife.  The  entries  Avere 
seventy-five.  In  these  competitions  Captain  Stirling  carried 
off  five  first  prizes  out  of  six,  the  only  first  that  escaped  him 
being  for  crops  groAvn  on  carse  land,  of  which  he  had  none. 
The  Avinning  crop  of  SAvedes  Aveighed  37  tons  15^  cwt., 
while  the  yelloAvs  Aveighed  39^  tons  3^  CAvt.  Who  says  Tur¬ 
nip  groAving  is  a  failure?  Well,  the  gallant  Captain  de¬ 
served  a  good  crop,  for  he  did  not  neglect  to  feed  his  land : 
25  tons  per  acre  of  farmyard  manure,  1  ton  ground  lime, 
2  CAvt  superphosphate,  2  cwt  dissolved  bones,  1  cwt  bone- 
meal,  and  a  dressing  of  sulphate  of  ammonia,  quantity  not 
given.  We  Avonder  Iioav  the  Barley  will  stand  next  year? 
There  ought  to  be  a  bumper  crop. 
Work  on  the  Home  Farm. 
Swede  Turnips  are  still  as  they  were.  The  rain  had  no  sooner 
cleared  up  than  frost  set  in,  accompanied  by  slight  snow.  The 
frost  was  not  severe  enough  to  injure  the  roots  we  hope,  but 
it  has  spent  a  week,  and  we  are  very  near  Christinas.  Though 
it  is  milder  to-day  there  is  a  little  bone  left  in  the  top  soil, 
and  we  cannot  begin  on  the  Swedes  until  to-morrow.  That 
labour  is  not  very  plentiful  is  evidenced  by  a  neighbour  having 
to  advertise  for  men  to  pull  Swedes.  Noav  the  Irishmen  have 
nearly  all  gone  local  men  will  find  ample  employment. 
As  we  had  no  manure  ready  to  cart,  out,  Ave  employed  the 
frosty  days  in  coA'ering  a  big  heap  of  Potato  haulm  with  soil. 
Some  people  burn  Potato  tops,  and  it  is  an  easy  way  to  get  rid 
of  them,  but,  if  a  spare  corner  can  be  found,  they  make  excellent 
compost  in  a  year  or  two.  The  space  beneath  the  shadow  of 
a  large  hedgerow  tree  may  be  used  for  this  purpose.  To  get  the 
haulm  to  decompose  quickly  a  covering  of  soil  is  necessary.  If 
the  heap  is  turned  over  after  twelve1  months  it  will  be  ready  for 
use  the  following  year. 
An  objection  to  making  manure  of  Potato  tops  is  the  fear  that 
by  so  doing  we  may  be  storing  up  the  germs  of  disease,  and  we 
certainly  think  it  unwise  to  use  for  a  Potato  crop  manure  which 
has  in  it  any  Potato  residue ;  but  to  carry  out  that  idea  to  the 
full  we  must  not  usje  for  Potatoes  the  manure  from  a  yard  Avhere 
pigs  have  been  fed  with  raw  diseased  Potatoes,  but  that  is  con¬ 
stantly  done,  and  especially  on  small  farms,  where  the  pig  is 
such  an  important  animal.  The  soil  Ave  cover  the  haulm  with 
we  get  from  the  side  of  a  bye-road.  We  ploughed  five  or  six 
furrows  from  each  side,  and  there  will  be  occupation  for  more 
frost-bound  days  later  on.  There  is  a  similarly  made  heap  ready 
to  use,  but  we  shall  keep  it  for  a  really  severe  time  and  put  it 
on  grass. 
Sheep  were  very  comfortable  on  roots  during  the  frost;  we 
fear  the  lair  will  be  bad  after  the  thaw.  Turnips  are  a  pro¬ 
digious  crop.  At  our  Christmas  fat-stock  auction  the  supply 
of  mutton  will  be  very  small  in  spite  of  all  the  auctioneer’s 
efforts.  There  will  be  a  good  supply  of  cattle  and  probably  a  good 
trade.  Small  pigs  have  been  plentiful  and  fairly  cheap,  but  fat 
pigs  are  being  killed  freely,  and  small  ones  are  wanted  to  occupy 
the  sties,  so  prices  are  rising  again.  If  all  breeders  were  as 
fortunate  as  a  small  occupier  in  this  place  the  pig  market  would 
soon  be  glutted.  His  sow  (second  litter)  has  fourteen  pigs,  and 
all  doing  well. 
Bacon  pigs  are  said  to  be  somewhat  disappointing  when  they 
are  put  on  the  weighing-scale.  Well!  good  meal  makes  good 
bacon,  but  damp,  badly-got  corn,  which  cannot  be  sold,  is  very 
dear  stuff  to  feed1  pigs  with,  and  there  is  too  much  of  such  rubbish 
being  used  just  now. 
- i  i 
We  have  received  for  review  copies  of  the  Doggie  WTall 
Calendar  for  1903,  issued  by  Spratt’s  Patent,  Limited,  24  and  25, 
Fenchurch  Street,  London,  E.C.  We  notice  that  there  are 
eight  portraits  of  prize  dogs,  comprising  pointer,  Scottish 
terrier,  bulldog,  toy  Pomeranian,  Airedale,  retriever,  Great 
Dane,  and  fox  terrier.  They  are  all  reproduced  by  half-tone 
blocks  on  art  paper.  At  the  back  of  each  picture  is  given  de¬ 
tailed  technical  information  as  to  the  points  of  breed  depicted. 
There  are  also  illustrations  of  prize  turkeys  and  of  cage  birds  by 
Mr.  Lydon.  The  firm  have  introduced  a  new  feature  this  year, 
by  means  of  which  each  month,  as  dispensed  Avith,  need  not  be 
torn  off,  but  can  be  kept  for  reference  at  back.  To1  those  of  our 
readers  Avho  make  early  application  Spratt’s  Patent,  Limited, 
will  be  pleased  to  send  a  copy  on  receipt  of  penny  stamp  for 
postage  addressed  to  Almanack  Department,  Spratt’s  Patent, 
Limited,  24,  Fenchurch  Street,  London. 
