Space forbids me referring other than nominally to COLTSFOOT (Tussilago farfara), VALERIAN (Valeriana officinalis), THORN APPLE (Datura stramonium), every part of which possesses medicinal properties.

MUSTARD (Sinapis nigra), RUE (Ruta graveoleus), a native of the South of Europe, but now becoming more known in gardens in this country. When recent this herb has a strong unpleasant smell and bitter taste, and by distillation yields a pungent essential oil.

HYSSOP FENNEL, WILD CUCUMBER (Mormordia elaterium).—The fruit of the wild cucumber should be gathered for medical use in September, just before it is ripe; it should then be sprinkled with water; each cucumber cut through longitudinally, and the clear juice which runs from it strained through a sieve. When this is allowed to stand some hours it deposits a sediment, which when collected and dried between folds of muslin, constitutes the elaterium of the shops. British elaterium is the most powerful. French elaterium is much weaker.

V. H. MoYLE.

CHAPTER LIV.

HOW CAN FARMING BE MADE PROFITABLE.

BY FINLAY DUN, F.R.C.V.S.

Member of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, and the Highland Agricultural Society, Scotland; Author of "American Farming and Food," "Landlords and Tenants in Ireland," Veterinary Medicines, their Actions and Uses."

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THERE is no royal road to profitable farming, no universal panacea for extracting gold from the mother earth. Neither Acts of Parliament, nor fiscal regulations can do much to improve British agriculture. British farmers labour under no disabilities; they have now in the main free hand to make the best of their holdings. Nowhere in the wide world, unless perhaps in some parts of China, has the land been brought into more favourable conditions for yielding the fullest returns, and nowhere are larger acreable returns produced. Landlords generally have added fifty to hundred per cent. to the prairie value of their estates. The land has been rendered fit for profitable farming, by enclosures, fences, suitable farm buildings, labourers' cottages, the making of roads, drainage, and in other ways. In these substantial permanent improvements, landlords throughout England and Scotland, have borne the major part of the outlay; but a greal deal has besides, been done by the co-operation industry, and also by the outlay of the tenantry. Some districts in Great Britain, and more in Ireland, still, however, stand in need of those permanent improvements which

are essential for profitable farming. British agriculturists, although their lands are certainly better equipped than those of most other countries, and although they extract from their acreage large returns of food, both for man and beast, during the last twenty years, have found their profits generally reduced, the cost of production has increased, while the prices of the staple articles of produce have diminished. With keen competition and quick cheap transport by land and sea the price of commodities in general use is unlikely to be advanced; but farmers' profits may still be substantially helped by increasing the acreable yield, and lessening its relative cost of production.

Like many other departments of industry, farming to be profitably pursued now requires more judgment, industry, and special knowledge, than ever it did. Success. depends mainly upon individual effort and capacity. One man prospers where others signally fail. Farming is not the easy rule of thumb trade it was once popularly represented to be, which the fool of the family might lazily pursue in a happy-go-lucky dilletante fashion, and realize, nevertheless, ten per cent. annual return on his invested capital. The man who now prosecutes farming successfully must know his business thoroughly, and attend to it systematically in its practical, scientific, and commercial relations. He ought to have a tolerably extended range of knowledge. He should understand the characters of the soils he tills, the methods of growth of the plants he cultivates, the nature and management of the animals he rears or feeds, the composition and special uses of the food to be furnished alike to plants and animals. He who rears the living plant from earth and air, and manufactures vegetable into animal food, must need have education, not only practical but

technical, and his success, as well as his rational interest in his vocation, will be greatly increased by the training of his observant faculties, and by the acquisition of some knowledge of the sciences which bear upon agriculture. A wise departure has recently been made in this direction by giving instruction in the principles of agriculture in rural and middle class schools, and in university extension lectures, and by teaching approved dairy management in convenient localities.

To secure profitable farming, besides brains, technical training, industry and thrift, adequate capital is a sine quá поп. The want of it is sadly evident in many districts of Great Britain, in most parts of Ireland, and indeed throughout the world. While wealth is freely attracted to other industries, how comes it that agriculture is frequently starved for want of means? The explanation is not far to seek. Many farmers have been hard hit by such seasons as 1879, and by a series of years of low prices, and are making an uphill fight with considerably less than half the acreable capital which they could profitably employ. Costly credit has to be got from landlord, cattle salesman, or corn or manure merchant; purchases are not effected in the best markets; forced sales have to be made to obtain ready money. Other farmers, although possessing capital, are chary in laying it out. From various causes they have been unsuccessful; their outlays may have been unpractical, or unduly extravagant; they may have failed to adapt their proceedings to altered circumstances; their labour and manure bills may have been unduly cut down. Having lost money they fear to lose more, and grudge the expenditure needful for the profitable conduct of their business. But assuredly as the farm becomes impoverished, so also does the farmer. Indeed, more

capital than formerly is needed to farm profitably in Great Britain. Much must be put into the land if much is to be got out of it. If full returns are to be obtained there must be judicious expenditure, not only of the sweat of the brow, but of plant food. Even the best of land must have its fertility recuperated at comparatively short intervals. Herds and flocks cannot in this country be economically reared and fattened without the use of concentrated food, much of which has to be purchased. This intensive system of farming-the only one which can generally be counted on to pay-necessitates the occupier expending capital ranging from a minimum of five pounds per acre on poor subjects, to five times that amount on highly-cultivated, first-class land. This needful capital will doubtless be invested in farming so soon as there is evidence that it will yield fair returns. Such assurance is gradually accumulating. In every part of the country there is better demand for farms than there was five years ago. Farmers generally are in better spirits and more hopeful. In most districts the numbers increase of those who are holding their own, or making some headway. Antiquated local practices are being accommodated to altered conditions. Practical men declare that, in suitable circumstances, wheat may be grown in England without loss at thirty-five shillings a quarter, and especially when the straw is saleable at thirty shillings a ton. There is money to be made by rearing either cattle or sheep, provided they are good specimens of sorts, suitable for the locality, and the management is judicious. Many farmers on grass in summer and in stalls or yards in winter, fatten cattle. and sheep, home-bred or carefully bought, at a profit which, on an average of seasons, ranges from fifteen shillings to twenty shillings an acre. Such results, at