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JPURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  2,  1903. 
The  Midsummer  Outlook. 
Though  in  the  opinion  of  those  best  qualified  to  judge 
agriculture  has  been  none  too  prosperous  during  the  past 
twelve  months,  yet  the  fact  that  suitable  tenants  can  still  be 
found  to  cultivate  the  land  goes  far  to  prove  that  farming  is 
not  all  loss,  and  we  trust  that  this  year  of  grace  1903  may 
bring  not  only  a  living  but  a  fair  profit  to  every  good  farmer. 
We  have  arrived  at  a  very  critical  point,  and  given  good 
weather  conditions  we  do  not  fear  for  the  immediate  future. 
Taking  Cereal  crops  first,  we  may  not  be  far  wrong  in 
saying  that  Wheat  is  promising.  Certainly  there  have  been 
attacks  of  wireworm  and  complaints  of  injury  therefrom,  but 
the  attacks  were  but  local,  and  entirely  confined  to  recently 
ploughed  up  pasture,  which  has  been  grazed  for  two  or 
more  years.  On  the  whole.  Wheat  looks  well ;  it  is  not 
only  of  good  length  of  straw,  but  sturdy  of  habit,  and  the 
ears  wdiich  are  appearing  are  long  and  well-developed.  Last 
year  at  this  time  thin  and  patchy  fields  of  Wheat  were  too 
frequently  met  with  ;  this  year  we  have  not  seen  a  bad 
piece,  and  we  think  the  prospect  for  Wheat  decidedly  above 
the  average,  and  it  must  be  the  premier  Cereal  crop  of  the 
year. 
Barley,  we  fear,  will  be  very  variable,  which  is  a  fatal 
word  to  use  in  connection  with  it.  More  equable  climates 
than  ours  have  of  late  produced  Barleys  which  have 
seriously  competed  with  ours  in  the  market  for  fine  malting 
quality,  and  we  cannot  afford  any  discount  arising  from 
ungenial  w'eather.  Barley  requires  forcing  treatment  and  a 
right-away  growth  without  check.  A  check  of  some  kind 
no  doubt  few  fields  have  escaped,  and  if  we  should  be  fortu¬ 
nate  enough  to  have  a  fair  yield  it  is  hardly  possible  to  have 
fine  quality.  The  yield  will  probably  vary  greatly,  and  as 
the  poor,  weak  soils  will  be  seriously  deficient,  it  is  pro¬ 
bable  that  the  crop  will  be  well  below  the  average. 
Oats,  of  which  a  considerable  acreage  has  been  sown,  are 
a  little  more  promising  than  Barley,  and  if  the  portion  of  the 
ci’op  sown  after  seeds  were  left  out,  the  prospect  might  be 
quite  up  to  the  average.  Oats  after  seeds,  however,  are 
anything  but  satisfactory.  Wireworm  has  been  very  destruc¬ 
tive  to  the  plant,  and  the  fields  present  a  very  patchy 
appearance.  As  the  world’s  production  of  Cereals  does  not 
keep  pace  with  the  increase  of  the  population,  apart  from 
the  fact  that  Indian  and  other  native  races  are  increasing 
their  average  consumption  per  head,  there  is  a  reasonable 
prospect  of  firm  to  higher  prices,  especially  for  bread  stuffs. 
The  price  of  bread  is  also  likely  to  be 'affected  by  the 
prospects  of  the  Potato  crop,  which  is  anything  but  bright 
just  now.  The  planting  generally  was  not  done  under 
favourable  conditions,  and  thousands  of  acres  which  were 
forward  in  growth  and  most  pi’omising  have  been  recently 
severely  damaged  by  fi’ost.  At  the  present  moment  there  is 
something  approaching  a  famine  in  Potatoes,  and  unless 
the  season  should  prove  very  favourable  to  the  further 
development  of  the  tuber,  there  is  a  prospect  of  higher 
prices  than  'usual  during  the  coming  winter.  The  Potato 
crop  is  one  which,  under  most  favourable  conditions,  shows 
great  powers  of  recovery,  and  it  is  unsafe  to  assume  too 
much,  but  certainly  at  present  the  condition  of  the  crop  is 
not  promising.  An  acre  of  Northern  Star  is  reported  sold 
for  £500.  We  have  heard  £500  per  ton  quoted  for  seed 
delivered  next  planting  time.  There  is  a  big  margin  between 
the  two  prices  if  the  variety  is  a  great  cropper. 
Mangolds  will  be  very  variable.  A  large  acreage  was 
sown  two  or  three  weeks  after  the  usual  time,  and  a  con¬ 
siderable  portion  did  not  germinate  until  the  rain  came. 
There  is  plenty  of  plant,  but  these  belated  crops  will  not 
have  time  to  develop  into  very  large  roots.  The  prospect 
for  Swedes  is  fair,  and  for  common  Turnips  good.  It  has 
been  rather  too  cold  for  the  young  early  sown  Swedes,  and 
the  later  ones  may  be  the  best,  but  there  has  been  plenty 
of  ram  in  nearly  all  districts,  and  with  anything  like  a  warm 
summer  we  have  confidence  in  forecasting  a  fair  average 
root  crop,  if  there  is  not  a  very  big  one. 
Hay  and  Clover  must  be  big  crops.  In  some  parts  the 
dry  weather  brought  about  somewhat  premature  cutting, 
but  there  are  few  light  crops,  and  many  very  heavy  ones. 
Bed  Clover  and  Cowgrass  are  so  thick  on  the  ground  that 
the  weight  per  acre  must  be  much  above  the  average.  That 
big  crops  of  fodder  are  anticipated  is  shown  by  the  fodder 
markets,  which  are  much  depressed.  Old  hay  is  almost  un¬ 
saleable,  and  Clover  is  very  cheap.  The  hay  producer  will 
have  to  hold  his  produce  over  or  accept  a  poor  price.  Hay 
welt  saved  and  well  stacked  will  keep  a  long  time  if  the 
farmer  has  sufficient  capital  to  play  the  waiting  game. 
The  prospects  of  the  stock  owner  are  undeniably  bright, 
the  only  dark  spot  being  the  low  price  of  wool.  Yet  the 
longest  lane  has  a  turning,  and  avooI  buyers  are  showing 
some  keenness  in  looking  after  lots.  Prices  are  firmer,  and 
we  are  informed  that  there  is  a  chance  of  a  return  to  more 
remunerative  rates.  We  used  to  regard  21s.  per  tod  as  a 
ruinous  price.  We  shall  feel  like  millionaires  when  wool 
reaches  that  price  once  more. 
The  crop  of  lambs  was  a  good  one,  and  the  season  has 
been  a  record  one  for  immunity  from  disease  and  loss. 
Prices  have  kept  at  a  high  level,  and  are  likely  to  remain 
there,  at  least  for  a  time.  There  is  plenty  of  keep,  and  if 
our  expectation  of  a  fair  root  crop  is  realised  farmers  will  be 
in  a  position  to  hold  their  sheep  and  dictate  prices  to  the 
consumer.  Foreign  supplies  are  not  large  enough  to 
materially  affect  the  situation.  Beef,  too,  is  likely  to  make 
a  fair  price  ;  the  good  supply  of  straw  and  hay  will  provide 
ample  food  for  the  winter,  and  there  should  be  little  need 
for  the  farmer  to  sell  his  cattle  before  they  are  well 
primed  up. 
Pig  feeding  does  not  promise  well.  Young  pigs  are  still 
dear,  far  too  dear  for  the  price  of  pork,  which  now  makes 
little  more  than  5d.  per  lb.  If  American  imports  soon 
return  to  their  old  level  we  shall  have  a  poor  trade  for  pig 
products. 
Work  on  the  Home  Farm. 
A  gloriously  fine-  week  has  seen  a  large  breadth  of  Turnips 
sewn  under  ideal  coHditions,  and  this  work  being  satisfactorily 
completed  we  can  turn  our  attention  in  earnest  to  the  making 
of  hay  which  we  were  about  to  commence  when  the  rain  came. 
The  rain  washed  the  dust  off  the  grass,  but  has  not  greatly 
increased  the  crop,  and  as  the  weather  appears  settled  we  will  go 
on  with  the  work  at  once.  Two  grass  reapers  will  soon  cut  the 
crops  down,  men  being  set  to  w-ork  with  scythes  to  mow  the 
corners  out  and  all  banks  and  occupation  roads;  the  rough  grass 
from  the  banks  and  corners  will  be  used  to  top  the  ricks  with. 
We  have  just  noticed  the  first  ears  of  Wheat,  so  can  fix  the 
commencement  of  the  corn  harvest  for  August  14.  If  Turnips 
have  a  good  growing  time  we  shall  be  able  to  get  all  nicely  hoed 
and  cleaned  before  harvest.  Swedes  are  not  nearly  big  enough 
for  striking  out,  but  we  are  looking  the  Mangolds  over  for  doubles, 
and  weeds  v.diich  have  revived  in  somewhat  alarming  numbers 
since  the  rain.  They  have  had  another  skerrying,  as  also  have 
the  Cabbages.  We  have  plenty  of  moisture  in  the  soil  now,  and 
we  must  keep  the  surface  fine  to  conserve  it  as  much  as  possible. 
Horse  hoes  too  often  lie  in  the  shed  when  they  should  he  at  work. 
If  there  are  no  weeds  to  kill  farmers  are  apt  to  consider  skerry¬ 
ing  superfluous,  but  it  is  a  great  mistake ;  for  surface  stirring  is 
absolutely  necessary  apart  from  its  action  in  destroying  weeds. 
We  have  noticed  that  farmers  who  have  been  late  in  cleaning  their 
Turnip  fallows,  and  have  had  a  good  deal  of  rubbish  to  work  out 
and  get  off  when  other  farmers  ,were  drilling,  were  generally  suc¬ 
cessful  in  getting  good  Turnip  crops.  This  we  attribute  to  the 
thorough  stirring  and  aeration  which  the  land  received  at  the 
last  stage,  and  if  thorough  stirring  is  good  before  drilling,  surface 
stirring  must  be  beneficial  afterwards. 
Bullocks  are  doing  better,  but  not  so  well  as  they  have  done 
in  many  seasons,  and  the  cost  of  the  cake  continued  for  a  longer 
time  will  tend  to  reduce  the  profit.  Fortunately  cakes  are  a 
little  cheaper,  the  inevitable  result  from  the  great  plenty  of 
natural  food. 
Mares  with  early  foals  are  now  turned  away  on  grass.  An 
allowance  of  corn  is  not  necessary,  but  politic  ;  for  both  mare  and 
foal  will  be  better  for  it,  and  the^ latter  wull  be  getting  educated 
to  look  out  for  itself.  Seven  pounds  per  diem  of  crushed  Oats 
and  bran  rvill  cost  about  3s.  per  week,  and  the  foal  will  pay  for  it 
in  increased  growth  and  substance. 
