August 30, 1883. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
197 
possible in the absence of nitrogen. Without manure good crops of Peas 
and Beans were produced. Now, without sulphur, lime, and potash being 
plentiful that would not have occurred. The fact that the Potatoes were 
poor may prove the soil over-rich, and if the shaws were strong—a circum¬ 
stance that often occurs accompanied with a poor crop of tubers—you may 
consider that was the fault of a soil rich enough to grow “ large Cabbages.” 
Too much food, even in good Potato land, often has that effect, and heavy 
clay is not good Potato land. So much for the lessons read us by the crops. 
Let us now turn to the soil. It is a rather heavy yellow loam on the “ rag¬ 
stone ” formation, and was formerly a Hop garden ; red clay is mixed with 
the rest of the subsoil. Some of the richest soil occurs on the formation you 
name, and the sample you have sent is good. It is heavy, but a good fruit 
soil. Such always retain the phosphates and potash applied, besides being 
rich in such of themselves. The clay that is apparent in the subsoil, and 
which is also present in the upper soil, performs this office. The fact of its 
being yellow indicates that humus is deficient. Whether such land needs 
manure now depends on the present state of the vegetation. You do not 
say when the trials of Turnips, Cabbages, Ac., without manure were made, 
nor whether your trees and bushes are vigorous and fruitful or not. If they 
are not it is probable that nitrogen alone is needed in your case ; but the time 
for applying such, at least when in the form of nitrate of soda or sulphate 
of ammonia, is in early summer during showery weather. At any other 
season it will be lost. Peruvian guano is also good, but should be lightly 
forked-in in spring. These only for trees that are fruitful but not vigorous. 
If vigorous, but not fruitful, then bones or ground coprolite (and possibly 
kainit) forked-in in spring will be suitable. But, considering that your soil 
is yellow loam, ordinary stable manure, which will furnish all these, and 
humus (the black mould of soils), will probably be best if it can be had really 
good for from 7s. Gd. to 10s. per ton, according to quality and distance. This 
should be well made and very lightly forked-in in spring. Without more 
data we cannot give you a more precise answer, but we know that with such 
soil as the sample you have sent us there ought to be no difficulty in growing 
healthy fruit trees and good crops of fruit when the seasons are favourable. 
Names of Fruit ( E. F. B ).—The red Apple is the Red Astrachan ; the 
green unripe specimen is not known. ( G . E.). —1, Cellini; 2, Lord Suffield ; 
3, Ecklinville Seedling ; 4, Tower of Glamis ; 5, Beauty of Kent; 6, Kerry 
Pippin. ( Colvile Browne). —1, Red Astrachan ; 2, Irish Peach ; 3, not 
recognisable. By having been placed loosely in a basket without any pack¬ 
ing material the fruits were bruised almost beyond identification. The 
Apple sent subsequently to the above is Graven&tein. No post-office 
•order has been received from you, and you have not sent your address. 
Names of Plants (77. Mayer , Bacaria ).—The plant is Parnassia palustris, 
a member of the natural order Saxifragacem. See reply above. ( R. 0 .).— 
Cattleya crispa. {Agent ).—Centaurea ragusina. (J. Smith). —l,Malope trifida; 
2, Datura Stramonium ; see reply above. The Potatoes we cannot under¬ 
take to name, as the varieties have now become so numerous that it is 
impossible to determine them without comparison with a large collection. 
(Dr. Mackenzie ).—It is a fine form of Phlox Drummondi Leopoldina, very 
richly coloured. 
Brood in Hives—Uniting Stocks (G . C .).—Your hives will not be free 
of brood so long as the bees find a good supply of honey, which will be till 
the end of the Heather season or the Ivy has done blooming where it is 
plentiful. Your best plan will be to drive at once or as soon as you bring 
them from the Heather. Select the youngest and best-shaped queens (the 
old queens always go with first swarms of the season, and young ones in 
after swarms) to place at the head of the colonies, and unite at once. Cut 
out the portions of brood in old combs and arrange them carefully in supers, 
so that the bees can get amongst them, and place them over the crown holes 
of your hives until the brood is hatched out, when they can be removed and 
your hives fed up for winter if needed. We cannot recommend dealers. 
\_Some other letters in hand will he answered next week.'] 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— August 29th. 
BUSINESS remains quiet, the supply of soft fruits being almost over, a good supply 
of foreign Pears arriving realising high prices. 
FRUIT. 
s. 
d. 
S. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
S. 
d. 
Apples. 
A sieve 
i 
0 
to 2 
6 
Grapes. 
1 
0 
to 3 
0 
.. per barrel 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Lemons. 
10 
0 
20 
0 
Apricots 
box 
2 
0 
2 
6 
Melons. 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Cherries. 
£ sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Nectarines .. 
dozen 
2 
0 
6 
0 
Chestnuts .. 
bushel 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Oranges. 
6 
0 
10 
0 
Currants, Black .. 
J sieve 
3 
6 
0 
0 
Peaches. 
dozen 
2 
0 
6 
0 
,, Red 
| sieve 
4 
0 
0 
0 
Pears, kitchen 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Figs . 
dozen 
2 
0 
0 
0 
„ dessert 
dozen 
2 
6 
8 
6 
Filberts. 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples, English .. lb. 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Cobs. 
1001b. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Raspberries .. 
0 
2 
0 
3 
Gooseberries.. .. 
J sieve 
2 
6 
3 
0 
Strawberries.. ,. 
0 
3 
0 
6 
VEGETABLES. 
8. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
Artichokes .. .. 
dozen 
2 
0 to 4 
0 
Mushrooms .. 
punnet 
1 
0 
to 1 
6 
Asparagus, English bundle 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Mustard and Cress 
punnet 
0 
2 
0 
3 
Asparagus, French bundle 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Onions . 
bunch 
0 
0 
0 
4 
Beans, Kidney 
lb 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Parsley .. dozen bunches 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Beet, Red 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Parsnips. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Broccoli .. ,. .. 
bundle 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Peas. 
quart 
0 
9 
0 
0 
Cabbage . 
dozen 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Potatoes. 
cwt. 
4 
0 
S 
0 
Capsicums .. .. 
100 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Kidney . 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Carrots. 
bunch 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Radishes .. dozen bunches 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Cauliflowers .. 
dozen 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Rhubarb. 
bundle 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Celery . 
bundle 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Salsafy. 
bundle 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Coleworts doz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Scorzonera 
bundle 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Cucumbers .. .. 
each 
0 
4 
0 
6 
Seakale. 
basket 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Endive. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Shallots. 
.. lb. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Fennel . 
bunch 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Spinach .. 
bushel 
2 
6 
3 
0 
Herbs . 
bunch 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Tomatoes 
.. ft. 
0 
6 
0 
0 
Leeks . 
bunch 
6 
3 
0 
4 
Turnips. 
bunch 
0 
0 
0 
4 
Lettuce. 
score 
1 
0 
1 
6 
MOUNTAIN BREEDS OF SHEEP. 
(Continued from page 174) 
The Cheviot sheep to which we have referred are now being 
used for crossing with other types of mountain sheep, not only 
in Scotland, but in the northern counties of England. Mr. 
Dixon, in his prize essay of the Journal of the Royal Agri¬ 
cultural Society of England upon the subject of mountain 
breeds of sheep, says:—“ It is to the Robsons of Belford, who 
were flourishing when the century began, that the earliest im¬ 
provement of the Cheviots is generally allowed to be due. 
Their tups were all bred on the Cheviot ranges, and seventy or 
eighty of them would sell and let for about £700 when they 
were marshalled each year in the great barn. It was said that 
there was a ci-oss from Dishley in the flock, but it was, at all 
events, with sheep of this blood that the late Mr. Reed left Reed 
Water on the south side of the Cheviots, to push his fortunes in 
Sutherlandsliire, and drive the Blackface out of the county. 
We hear of him, as years went on, with 18,000 sheep upon a 
farm of eighteen miles by eight along the banks of the Helms¬ 
dale and Brora, and handing over 2006 three-year-old wethers, 
and 1500 cast ewes, one September, to a Hawick salesman. 
In the north of Scotland it is all Heather, and in the south all 
grass, but the lower range at which Cotton Grass grows on the 
lulls of Sutherlandshire enables the sheep to tide it better over 
the winter without the aid of mountain hay. The southern 
Cheviots are thus brought up more artificially, and it seems a 
question whether tups are quite so hardy and so active in fol¬ 
lowing the ewes; but still all the present prizetakers came out 
of their ranks, and the northern breeders do not care to meet 
them in the Highland Society’s ring. The most improved type 
of Cheviots, like Mr. Brydon’s—for whose tups between 100 and 
200 guineas have been given recently at his biennial Beattock 
sale—have good Roman-nosed heads, flat crowns covered with 
hard white hair, and that ‘ cock of the lug and glint of the eye,’ 
which tell of mettle that will make them hunt the hill for food, 
and not hang listlessly round the hay hecks after a storm. 
They have also a fine ‘ park ranging neck,’ rather Leicester-like 
girth and width between the fore legs, light and clefty bone, 
and plenty of wool under the belly as well as on the arms and 
thighs. A good fore arm, or ‘ butcher’s grip,’ is as great a point 
as white legs and a black nose.” 
This quotation is from an essay written in 1866, since which 
time this breed has greatly extended itself throughout the 
mountains of Scotland—some of which reach to 2658 feet above 
the level of the sea—and in many instances has supplanted the 
Blackfaced sheep ; but the change has only been partially 
advantageous, the latter being somewhat hardier and more 
capable of subsisting on heathy pasturage. Still they are a 
hardy race, well suited for their native pastures, bearing with 
comparative impunity the storms of "winter, and thriving well 
on poor keep. Though less hardy than the Blackfaced Heath 
sheep of Scotland, yet they are more profitable as regards their 
feeding, making more flesh on an equal portion of food, and 
making it quicker. They have white faces and legs, open 
countenances, lively eyes, and hornless. The ears are large 
and somewhat singular, and there is much space between the 
eys and ears ; the carcass is long, the back straight, the 
shoulders rather light, the ribs circular, and the quarters good. 
The legs are small in the bone and covered with wool as well 
as all the body, with the exception of the face. The Cheviot 
wether is fit for the butcher at three years old, and averages 
from 12 to 18 lbs. per quarter. In the hands of some of the 
best breeders and feeders they make sufficient weight for the 
trade in six or eight months, but earlier after having been 
artificially fed; the mutton is, however, of good quality, though 
inferior to the Southdown, and of less flavour than the Blackfaced. 
The “Blackfaced Heath sheep,” is a very peculiar breiil, 
inhabiting the lofty but barren and heathy hills which extend 
from Derbyshire on the south to the confines of Scotland, 
through the counties of Cumberland, Lancashire, Westmoreland, 
and 'Yorkshire. This range of highlands is a tract much exposed 
to the winds on either side, and this, with the poverty of the soil, 
permits only a hardy race of animals to live and thrive. Though 
this is its native locality, the breed has for many years considei- 
