995
THE ESTATES GAZETTE
June 10, 1899.
i orestrii :
ITS SCIENCE AND PRACTICE.
CONDUCTED BY
CHARLES E. CURTIS, F.S.I.,
Professor of Forest Economy, Field Engineering, and General Estate Management at the College of Agriculture, Downton, etc., etc.
POPLAR TWIG BORER.
I promised in my notes of May 20 to write again when, the insects emerged from their pupae. Two have now appeared, and an illustration shall be given in an early issue. They have bored their way out of the swelling, the bore being very perfect and about an ׳eighth of an inch in diameter. As two of these have emerged from one small twig, not more than three inches in length, it may be conceived how injurious they may become. AH my readers will agree that burning of the attacked twigs is all important. The fact is I had for the •time forgotten these twigs, and I was reminded of it by finding two perfect insects (beetles) in the water of my hand basin in my study. This seems to show a desire for water immediately on the perfecting of life.
LIME TREE AVENUE.
W. J. writes as foHows from county Durham :
-—Lime tree avenue.—Last autumn, one of the trees in an avenue of lime trees was blown down, and, on examining the tree, it was found to have practically no root. The avenue was planted 25 years ago. At this particular part of the avenue the trees were (I am told by an old woodman) planted on “ made or levelled-up ground,” and are more than twice the size of the trees planted higher up the avenue on the original ground. The soil of the made ground' is a medium loam overlying the chalk, and the subsoil is evidently very moist, judging from the rank growth of the grass; higher up, where the trees have only made a normal growth, the soil is much stiffer. Can you account for the rapid growth of the trees and the absence of root growth 1 In the same avenue, but ome-third of a mile away, the lime trees are doing very badly in three places׳. I have been told certain trees have been replanted three times in the last 15 years, but they always die off, though at only a few yards? distance the trees ore doing very weH. At these three places (the soil appears to be thin and poor and contains a number of chalk flints, but there is no stagnant water. I propose some time before the autumn to take out a quantity of the present soil and replace with good loam, and in the autumn replant with trees of about 15 years’ growth. I shall be glad of your opinion and advice.—W. J.”
I have a similar case under my immediate observation, upon a gravel bed resting upon the chalk foamation. It is an alluvial soil about midway between the river and rising ground. At the river end the trees are very robust and putting in wood rapidly, but at the opposite end the trees have never done well, and stone have been planted over and over again. It is a case Of quality of soil, as care lias been taken to select well-rooted trees in my case. Soils change in character within a few yards, especially upon gravel beds, and an instance of this I have in my own garden, whore I can stand with one leg on׳ good soil, the other on bad. The line is quite distinct in vegetable growth.
I do not quite understand from the letter whether the tree which was blown down stood upon the made or natural ground, but if upon the made ground the few roots which the tree possessed־ made the most of their powers, and a vigorous growth resulted, but this would not continue. I have known trees show greater vigour, and others without apparent cause die for lack of root-fibre. Upon the natural soil where the trees are not doing well, I would recommend digging a trench round each tree about two feet deep, one and a half feet wide, and at the extremities of the overhanging branches. Fill this trench with leaf-compost, and water freely through •the summer. This will encourage root-fibre, and probably save the trees. Where necessary to replant, the plans proposed by the writer will doubtless be effective. Plenty of leaf-mould Should be used, and the trees be securely tied to prevent wind movement. Watering, too, must be continued. _ To aid the trees which may be languishing, as I have suggested, there is no reason to delay the operation.
W. J.’s further notes shall receive attention in next issue.
Good Lawns.—Many useful items of information m regard to the preservation of grass upon lawns generally, and upon golf links in particular, are contained in a little circular just issued by Messrs. James Carter and Co., of ’High Holbom, London, W.C.
TRIBUNAL OF APPEAL.
OPEN AIR SPACE AT THE REAR OF BUILDINGS.
On June 2, at the Surveyors’ Institution, W’estminster, an appeal was heard under the Building Act, 1894, by the Tribunal of Appeal:—Mr. Arthur Cates, F.S.I.. F.R.I.B.A. (chairman), Mr. John W. Penfold, F.S.I., F.R.I.B.A., and Mr. A. A. Hudson, barrister. This was an appeal by Mr. Alfred Charles Stock against the decision of the London County Gounod respecting the rebuilding of the Globe Hotel, in York-place, Marylebone.
Mr. Acland, Q.C. (instructed by Messrs. Hunter and Haynes, Lincoln’s-inn), represented the appellant, and Mr. T. S. Berry appeared for the London County Council.
Air. Acland said Air. Stock proposed to rebuilt the Globe Hotel on the sites of Nos. 43, 45 and 47, Alarylebone-road and 21, York-place, and he made application to the Council stating that the open cubic air space to be provided at the rear of the proposed building was equivalent to the open cubic space which would have been provided if the diagonal line had been drawn from the ground level in the manner provided in section 41, sub-sec. 1, rule 3. Sun-section 1 enacted that there shall be provided in the rear of every such building an open space belonging to such building and of an aggregate extent of not less, than 150 square feet. Air. W. E. Riley, the superintending architect, wrote stating that the appellant had not allowed such an open air space at the rear as would in case of extension be required by the last proviso of sec. 41 sub-sec. 2. Mr. Acland argued that to keep strictly to the regulation as required! by the Council would be to spoil the architectural harmony of the building and sacrifice considerable building area, whilst more than !the actual light and air space at the rear would be given by the appeHant’s plan. The new hotel as proposed would form the two sides of a square block of buildings, facing on one side York-place, which was the front, and1 on the other Marylebone-road. The site in question was ait the north-west comer of the block of buildings, and׳ the portion of tire design which the Council had refused to sanction was on the north slide, and would therefore not materially affect the access of light and air to the space at the rear of the block. The connecting buildings consisted׳ of the Port-man-mansion, erected by Mr. Serymgour, the architect for the appellant. It ־was proposed that a portion of the new building should extend above the diagonal line to be drawn.
Air. Hudson: The question is What is the rear?
Air. Acland: Yes. To strain that word to exclude the whole of what I may caH the back-front in Alarylebone-road is, I submit, entirely wrong.
Air. Win. H. Serymgour, architect and surveyor, of Lovell’s-oourt, Paternoster-row, E.C., wlio prepared the plans, gave calculations to show the equivalent space that would be provided at the rear, and the space if the diagonal Hne drawn from the. ground level was observed. If the building was "in an entirely new street the total cubic space would be 103,417ft; and for a, new building in an old street, 71,492ft., whilst in the plans he submitted the total cubic space provided was 104,420ft.
Air. Frederick W. H. Hunt, F.S.I., F.R.I.B.A., of 30, York-place, W., surveyor to the Portman Estate, said the open space at !the rear was׳ equal and rather more than that which would have been otherwise provided.
Professor T. Roger Smith, district surveyor, of AVandsworth, said that looking at all the different oomditionsi the open space suggested ought to bo regarded as׳ equivalent, and׳ prevented something much worse.
FOE TEE COUNTY- COUNCIL.
Air. T. S. Berry pointed out that if the Tribunal was satisfied that there was provided at the rear of this building the required number of cubic feet of air space then the appeHant was as a right entitled to put up the building. He contended that the appeHant wished to substitute in the proviso aflowing equivalent open space in the rear the- word “need” instead of that which “would•” have been provided at the rear of such budding if such diagonal line had been drawn from the ground level.
The Tribunal allowed the appeal, the Chairman stating .that they did so under the circumstances of the case, and the appeal must not be taken as establishing a precedent. No order would be made as to costs.
TO READERS.
The Manager will esteem it a favour if readers of the “ESTATES GAZETTE ” will kindly mention the name of the paper when communicating with any firm in regard to properties advertised or referred to therein
I wish proceedings were taken more often! for the same cause. At Truro recently a cattle dealer of Redruth was charged with cruelty to six cows and six calves by aHowing the cows to be overstocked with milk and the calves to be kept without food. The defendant kept the calves muzzled and the cows unimilked for 17 hours, and pleaded that otherwise the cows would have been no good for the market. The Chairman of the Bench characterised defendant’s conduct as cruel and a fraud on the public, and fined ,him £2—and a very light let-off too.
Attention is called in the “Field” to the growing practice among milk sellers of buying newly calved cows, milking them for only one season, and fattening them off for the butcher in the latter part of the year. The system is a very wasteful one, although it may appear immediately profitable to those who practise it. The best of mildh cows in the prime of life are thus lost to the country, when only about half or less of their natural life of profit as milkers is over. It is a question, moreover, whether the system is not penny wise and pound foolish, even on the part of those who pursue it. They lose cows which would be at their best for the milk supply for several years to come ; they have to pay 'high prices for substitutes ; and they run some risk of not getting fresh cows equal to the best of those which they fatten. They also incur frequently the danger of bringing disease into their herds, which would be obviated to a great extent if they bred calves, rearing the heifers for future use.
The rearing of calves is some trouble, no doubt; but its combination with dairy farming of any description is advantageous in the long run, if only for the reason given above. At any rate the system is a very bad one for the country at large, and it is said to be particularly so for Ireland, where successful dairying is the mainstay of the farmers. Irish farmers are tempted by the high prices offered in England to sell the best of their freshly calved cows, and it is complained that the general standard of quality among those retained for use in Ireland is deteriorating in consequence.
A good export season for our home stockbreeders is predicted, reports from America indicating that breeders in that country wHl be practicaUy eompeHed to go aiteoad for replenishing their stock this year, and it is to the British breeder that they ־will probably come first׳, for in no country can their demands be better met than in our own, and the almost complete freedom of our flocks and herds from contagious diseases is another great point in favour of our stockbreeders.
Partridges are busy sitting—if such a term can be used for such a quiet occupation—and when taking our walks abroad our inquisitive canine companions should he carefully kept under control, or left at home altogether. Alany a little hunting terrier has done more harm by way of disturbing birds on the nests than a whole village of human poachers. When partridges are driven off their eggs by dogs they rarely return to the nest, and thus whole coveys are. sacrificed through the maraudings of some yelping cur.
The troublesome restrictions on the removal of swine have at last been done away with, and we can now move our pigs about as we please, without the leave and license of the gentlemen in blue. Farmers in pig districts hail the change with pleasure, and trade has bettered itself somewhat already. Let us hope the Board of Agriculture may not find itself obliged to hamper us again in the same way.
Wheat markets generally are 6d. dearer on the week. Imperial weekly averages for week ending June 3 : —AVheat, 25s. 4d. ; Barley, 24s. 4d. ; oats, 18s. per quarter. For corresponding week in last year :—Wheat 46s. 3d. ; barley 26s. lOd. ; oats, 21s.
Aspatbia Ageicuitueai. College.—Of the forty-one.candidates who recently competed for the Royal Agricultural Society’s diploma in agriculture, four entered from this institution, and it is׳ gratifying to note that aH were successful. W. Jackson, Wolston-heath, Coventry, was placed eighth on the list, and was awarded the Society’s diploma; R. Gwillim, Hereford, likewise gained the diploma with the twelfth place. Both candidates attained to the necessary marks (two-thirds of the maximum) qualifying for the medals, which are awarded to the first five in the list, W. S. Harrison, Rugby, and AAr. R. Lloyd AViHiams, Corwen, were successful in obtaining the certificates of the Society. The winner of the third medal, A. H. DeHschaft, was also a student of the coHege for half the time he was preparing for the Society’s examination.
Jfarm anil JfMir.
BY A LAND AGENT.
[SPECIALLY CONTRIBUTED.]
A less genial May than the month that has not long left us has rarely been experienced. The weather throughout was more of the character of Alarch, and to make things worse, at the very end of the month, when summer might reasonably have been expected, we were treated to more severe frosts than any Which occurred in December, seven degrees having been registered one night. With the opening of the present month, however, summer has hurst upon us, glorious, blazing, typical—one might almost say tropical—summer weather It is just what we require ; but at this early.stage of the summer, when corn crops are growing and roots are in their infancy, we cannot do with too much dry, and we shall soon he crying out for rain, not an abundance day after day, but a few grateful and refreshing showers, or, as they express it down west, a “lippery” time, is what we want now. Thunder clouds have been visiting us, but have not broken, and at the time of writing the heat is excessive.
Haymaking has commenced with the field grasses, and good crops are found generally. Those Who are able to cut early will this season have the benefit of the fine weather, which may not favour us later on. It does not take many days such as we have had for the opening of the month to convert a field of grass into hay, and much expense for manual labour is saved when the great haymakers, sun and breeze, come to the farmer’s aid. Aleadow lands look very promising everywhere, and in all probability we shall have a better shear than we anticipated during the cold days of spring. Wheat is looking excellent, and a very strong plant, and is quickly recovering lost ground under the present genial sunshine. Beans also are healthy and show no sign of blight or diseases of any kind. Local stock markets in Somerset are subdued and little business done, but reports from the large Dorset sales show an improvement■ in tue trade both for homed stock and ¡iheep. Calves, both fat and suckler, continue to sell very dear, good heifer calves for weaning making exceptionally high prices. Bacon pigs have fallen about 6d. a score, and stores are consequently cheaper, the large numbers now being put upon the markets also tending to lower prices.
Sheep shearing is now occupying a prominent position in the thoughts of farmers, especially amongst the large flockmasters who have from 500 to 1,000 s'heep on their farms. The question of washing or not washing is a very old one, which occurs every year about this time. Each system has׳ its advantages and its disadvantages, but if a census were taken I think it would be found that the majority of flockmasters wash their sheep previous to shearing. The advantages־ of washing are that the wool is cleaner and fetches from 2d. to 2jd. per pound more money, and the task of shearing is made easier by the previous preparation. On the other hand, it is said that the extra weight of unwashed wool makes up for the lower price, that the operation of washing is dangerous to the sheep, and that it is an unnecessary labour.
About ten days should elapse between washing and shearing to allow the grease to rise in the wool. Care should he taken to use a warm genial day for washing, when a cold hath wiU not be likely to chill the recipients, and the presence of the master at the pool is beneficial as the men, when left to themselves, get very rough in their treatment of the sheep, and throw them in very carelessly, in Which case the objection of the danger of the process is certainly a good one. Shearing itself is a very warm occupation this weather, the natural heat of the animals adding to the stuffiness of the barn and the heat produced by the exercise. It is usual for shearing to be done by gangs of five or six men, who go about from farm to farm in the district, and a busy time they have of it during the season, clipping from nearly sunrise to sunset. The usual rate of pay is 5s. a score for Down sheep, and an expert man can get through over a score a day• So. fair wages ,can.be earned .; but it is hard work ; and plenty of refreshment is required throughout the day—it is reaUy marvellous the quantity of liquid some of these fellows get through in a day whilst shearing or grass mowing. Yery silly ,the s'heep look when they are turned out of ¡the ׳barn with their jackets off ; but it is a great relief to them this weather to be free of their warm clothing. The price of wool is lower than ever this year, and as a source of income has lost the important place it once used to occupy in the farmer’s hank account.
The question of stocking cows’ udders for markets was mentioned in this column some weeks ago. I am glad to come across a case where a dealer has been fined for so doing, and