August 19, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 177 
field, and tended with like care, have all been more or less diseased, 
his Mexican “ papas ” show not a spot of the blight. Nor is this all 
in their favour; for, while the best of the other kinds have yielded 
less than five tons to the acre, they have produced over ten in com¬ 
mon drills done by the plough. Hundreds of specimens were above 
1 lb. in weight, some even 1J It). After being stored in ordinary field 
pits through the winter, the Mexican Potatoes come out perfectly 
sound, and seemed to improve in quality as the season advanced. 
As an article for the table Captain Reid thinks they have no 
superior; and he proposes the Government take in hand the impor¬ 
tation of Mexican and Peruvian seed as a cure for the Potato 
blight. 
- The Harvest in Italy.—A recent telegram from Naples 
states—Official harvest accounts after the heavy rainfalls report that 
the grain is in excellent condition. The Vines everywhere are most 
promising. There are good prospects for Hemp, Olives, and Beetroot. 
Only Maize is deficient on dry soils. 
- Damage to Crops in the Midlands. —The recent storms 
and inundations in different parts of the midland districts have done 
considerable damage to the growing crops. Whole fields of Oats are 
in some places laid flat upon the ground, while Barley and other 
crops have suffered in like manner. Farmers are again lamenting 
their misfortunes, and the brilliant weather that succeeded the storms 
cannot make the harvest profitable. 
-An Australian Sheep Station.— Sir Samuel Wilson has 
sold one of his pastoral properties in New South Wales, consisting of 
about 3,000,000 acres of land, leased from the Crown, together with 
about a quarter of a million of sheep and some hundreds of cattle 
and horses. The station was sold for ten yearly payments of £40,000 
each, to Messrs. McCaughey. This station was bought five years 
since for less than £100,000. The magnitude of the area of the station 
may be better understood when it is known that there are over 1300 
miles of wire fencing on the station, although only about half the 
area is fenced into paddocks, as they are termed, varying in area from 
500 to GO,000 acres. 
- The Yorkshire Harvest. —The continuation of unfavourable 
weather, says the Leeds Mercury , leaves now no doubt that the year 
will be another bad one for farmers in the northern and eastern 
districts of Yorkshire. The laid Wheat is nearly worthless, and that 
standing is seriously affected both with rust and mildew, with about 
a third of deficiency of corns in the ear. Barley is in much the same 
condition as Wheat, and the prospect is that the general yield will 
turn out a little better than “ screenings.” Potatoes are now display¬ 
ing all the worst symptoms. Turnips have suffered terribly, and 
cannot be more than half a crop. Mangolds are likewise doing badly, 
being festered with green maggot in the leaf. The general look-out 
for the farmers is of a very desponding character. 
- Hop Prospects. — The South Eastern Gazette publishes a 
series of reports on the condition of the Hop plant and the crop 
prospects. Summarised they give the following results :—Had it not 
been for an extraordinary attack of mould, such as has not been 
experienced for more than half a century, the crop would have been 
an unusually good one ; but as it is the earliest will probably prove 
almost a failure, while the later sorts, if the weather is propitious, 
may yield a good crop of fair quality. In Mid-Kent the weight per 
acre will vary considerably, and correspondents set it at from 5 cwt. 
to 10 cwt. In North Kent the yield is expected to be heavier. In 
West Kent the crop is estimated at from 5 cwt. to 10 cwt., while from 
the Weald the report gives it at 10 cwt. per acre. Passing on to East 
Kent we find the crop to be, as indeed it is elsewhere, in a most 
critical state, depending altogether on the weather of the next few 
days ; if it proves favourable a good average yield is anticipated. In 
the large Hop-growing district around Ashford 6 cwt. will probably 
be grown on the average; some gardens will produce 15 cwt. per acre, 
and others will not be worth picking. In the Isle of Thanet the 
crop will be heavy. The yield in Surrey is put at from 7 to 8 cwt., 
and advices from Worcestershire and Sussex speak of a more satis¬ 
factory crop than w'as anticipated ten days since. 
- Prices of Wheat from 1641 to 1875.—The following list 
which has been sent to us by a celebrated agriculturist, shows the 
years in which Wheat has been at any given average price per 
quarter (omitting odd pence) from 1G41 to 1875 :— 
Price. Years. 
22s. 1687.1743,1744 
23s. 1654,1706, 1732 
24.s. 1745 
25i. 1707,1733 
26s. 1689, 1702, 1705, 1761 
28s. 1750 
29s. 1655, 1731 
30s. 1686,1690,1691, 1723,1734,1738, 
1742, 1747, 1754, 1755 
31s. 1653, 1719 
32s. 1666, 1667, 1703,1720,1722, 1724, 
1730, 1748, 1749 
33s. 1676,1701, 1721, 1737, 1760, 1779 
34s. 1718, 1739,1746, 1751, 1762 
35s. 168*, 16-3,1700, 1736, 1759, 1780 
36s. 1664, 1672, 1708, 1763 
37s. 1670,1671, 1677, 1727, 1752 
38s. 1656, 1715, 1735, 1776, 1786, 1851 
39s. 1669, 1682, 1684, 1753, 1835 
40s. 1080. 1688,1717, 1726, 1756, 1769, 
1850 
41s. 1657,1673, 1681, 1685, 1692, 1704, 
1712, 1729, 1741, 1764, 1787, 
1852, 1865 
42s. 1646, 1716,1778 
43s. 1665. 1725, 1766, 1770, 1792, I960 
44s. 1652, 1714,1758, 1781, 1822, 1849, 
1859,1864 
45s. 1713, 1740,1777, 1788, 1875 
46s. 1834, 1870 
47s. 1695,1767,1771,1782 
48s. 1711, 1728, 1765, 1775, 1784, 1791, 
1836, 1869 
49s. 1793, 1866 
50s. 1660, 1663,1772,1843, 1845, 1848 
51s. 1645, 1773, 1785,1789, 1798, 1844 
52 s. 1678, 1774,1783,1794, 1833 
Price. Years. 
53s. 1679,1697,1757, 1768, 1797, 1823 
1853,1861 
54s. 1790, 1846 
55s. 1837, 1862, 1863,1874 
66s. 1694,1699,1821,1858, 1871 
57s. 1641, 1658,1675,1842, 1872 
58s. 1659,1803,1826, 1827, 1832,1873 
59 s. 1643 
60s. 1642, 1693, 1698, 1828 
61s. 1644,1674 
62s. 1661, 1804 
63s. 1696,1824, 1868 
64s. 1830,1838,1841, 1867 
65s. 1647, 1651, 1662, 1815 
66s. 1829, 1831, 1840 
67s. 1820 
68s. 1650,1825 
60s. 1709, 1710, 1799, 1802, 1847, 1857 
70s. 1839 
71s. 1649 
72 s. 1854 
74s. 1814, 1819, 1855, 1856 
75 s. 1648,1795,1807 
78s. 1796, 1816 
79 s. 1806 
81s. 1808 
86s. 1818 
89s. 1805 
95s. 1811 
96s. 1817 
97s. 1S09 
106s. 1810 
109s. 1813 
113s. 1800 
119s. 1801 
126s. 1812 
-New Wheat. —New Wheat has been offered at Colchester, 
Dorchester, and other markets, and the samples not being very firm 
only 48s. per quarter could be obtained for the produce. 
COMB FOUNDATION. 
A COMMUNICATION from your correspondent “ B. & W.” which 
appeared in a recent issue of the Journal induces me again to 
take up my pen on the subject of comb foundation. First let me 
say that there is one reference to my former letter which is mis¬ 
leading—viz., “After seven years of comparative failure he at last 
attained to that perfect success.” Now my letter has reference 
to only three years of experiment with comb foundation, the seven 
years previous with guide combs, which were a failure. I dis¬ 
tinctly stated that my first experience with Raitt’s or any deep 
sheet of foundation was in 1878, and that from the first I have 
had but one breakdown and no crooked combs or curled corners. 
Now, without the slightest expectation of earning the enviable 
name of “benefactor” to my apiarian brethren, I have much 
pleasure in giving my simple modus operandi , whatever it may be 
worth. First, the groove in the top bar of my frame is one-eighth 
of an inch deep and wide, cut with a plough plane. Second, a 
piece of lath half an inch square and long enough to fit so tightly 
across the frame as to bear the weight of the foundation when it 
is laid on it. Third, to prevent curling I drive two tin points 
(such as we use in fixing glass in outer sections) into the styles or 
upright ends of frame about inch from the bottom bar and 
one-eighth inch apart, so that the foundation may hang loosely 
between them. The frame being thus prepared I cut the upper 
edge of the foundation to the exact shape of the under or grooved 
side of the top rail, so that when laid in the groove it shall lie 
evenly and closely along it. I then lay it on the crossrail between 
the points and in the groove, and, inclining the frame so that the 
foundation may rest against the crossbars, I pour in boiling wax, 
filling and slightly overflowing the groove. When cool turn the 
frame, and the ends being supported by the points the centre 
needs only a finger to secure the foundation from suffering from 
being put out of the perpendicular to wax the other side. All 
that is to be attended to after this is never to put the frame out of 
perpendicular unless w’hile the foundation rests against the cross¬ 
bar, which a slight touch will remove while holding the frame 
perpendicular when putting it into its box hive, and giving all 
possible ventilation below and above for twenty-four hours after 
hiving a swarm. I use, instead of quilt or board, only a strainer 
cloth on the top for that time, which allows the excessive heat 
which attends swarmin? or other excitement to escape in some 
measure. I deem this of great importance. 
Having now as requested “plainly and minutely described”— 
