May 24, 1883. ] 
JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
439 
sturdy growth, which has every chance of thoroughly ripening. In a sunnier 
clime they succeed planted out. 
Grapes Shanking (II. T. II.). —We have read your letter attentively, but 
we could not answer it last week, the pressure during a few days immediately 
preceding publication being very great. It is not at all unusual for Grapes to 
shank just before they ought to ripen, this being usually caused by overcropping, 
defective root-action, or insufficient or unsuitable nourishment, but is very un¬ 
common for the stems to decay so early as your bunches have done. You do not 
state the temperature you have maintained, and we can only suggest it has been 
too low and the house too damp, while it is not improbable the wood was 
not well ripened last year. The white specks on the leaves are not mildew, 
nor have they been caused by insects. They aie the result of drip from the roof 
—a circumstance which suggests that your house has been kept too cold and 
damp, hence the condensation of moisture. If your Vine border is rich a surface 
dressing of lime, making the soil quite white, and very lightly pointed in or 
covered with other soil would probably be beneficial, and would certainly do no 
harm. Read what Mr. Witherspoon says on page 420; he is a most successful 
cultivator. 
Names of Plants (J. II.) —l.Stellarianemorum, Great Wood Stitch wort; 
2, Stellaria Holostea, Hedge Stitch wort; 3, Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, Oppo¬ 
site-leaved Golden Saxifrage ; 4, Grum rivale, Water Avens ; 5, Mercurialis 
perennis, Dog Mercury (male plant) ; G, Adoxa moschatellina, Tuberous-rooted 
Moschatel; 7, Myrrhis odorata, Sweet Cicely. Mosses : 1, Mnium punctatum, 
Dotted-leaved Thread Moss; 2 and 3, Plagiothecium elegans. Elegant Feather 
Moss. (E .).—The yellow flower is Forsythia viridissima, the scarlet Fuchsia splen- 
dens, and the white one Atragene ochotensis. (E. II. A'.).—1, Begonia parviflora ; 
2, Begonia weltoniensis ; 3, Adiantum Capillus-Veneris; 4, Begoniasemperflorens; 
6 , Coleus Duchess of Edinburgh ; 6 , Davallia bullata. (Subscriber).— The Orchid 
is Saccolabium giganteum, and the red flower Ixia crateroides. (T. A.)—Ixia 
viridiflora, a native of the Cape of Good Hope, and introduced in 1780. 
*** Replies to some other letters in hand will he answered next v'eclc. 
Feeding Bees (B. A.).—Your bees ought not to require feeding at all now 
fruit blossom is so plentiful and the weather fine. They will store the syrup 
you give them readily enough, bur the honey from it will be very inferior to 
that gathered from the flowers. When the bees swarm place the hive on a new 
stand and let the old hive remain where it is. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.—Mat 23rd. 
A GREAT improvement in the business of the past week has hardened prices 
generally. Grapes alone have fallen. 
FRUIT. 
S. 
d. 
8 . 
d. 
s 
d. 
S. 
d 
Apples. 
2 
0to7 
0 
Grapes . 
ft. 3 
0 to 6 
0 
H . 
per barrel 20 
0 
40 
0 
Lemons. 
case 10 
0 
20 
0 
Apricots. 
. doz. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Nectarines. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Cherries. 
. $ sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Oranges . 
100 
6 
0 
10 
0 
Chestnuts. 
. bushel 10 
0 
12 
0 
Peaches . 
dozen 18 
0 
21 
0 
Currants, Black. 
. J sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pears,kitchen .. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
*» Red... 
. i sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
dessert . 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Figs. 
. dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples, English ft. 
2 
0 
3 
6 
Filberts. 
ft. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Raspberries. 
ft. 
e 
0 
0 
0 
Cobs. 
. 100 ft. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Strawberries .... 
ft. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Gooseberries ... 
. 4 sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
8 
d. 
8 . 
d. 
s. 
d. 
9. 
d 
Artichokes. 
2 
0 to 4 
0 
Mushrooms . 
punnet 
1 
0 to 1 
6 
Asparagus, English bundle 
3 
0 
6 
0 
Mustard & Cress . 
punnet 
0 
2 
0 
3 
Asparagus, French bundle 
2 
0 
10 
0 
Onions. 
bushel 
2 
6 
3 
6 
Beans,Kidney.. 
100 
2 
0 
0 
0 
Parsley. doz.bundles 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Beet, Red. 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Parsnips. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Broccoli. 
0 
9 
i 
6 
Peas . 
quart 
3 
6 
0 
0 
Cabbage . 
0 
6 
i 
0 
Potatoes, New .... 
ft. 
0 
4 
0 10 
Capsicums. 
100 
1 
6 
2 
0 
6 
0 
10 
0 
Carrots . 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Kidney. 
cwt. 
6 
0 
10 
0 
Cauliflowers.... 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Radishes_ doz. bunches 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Celery. 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Rhubarb. 
bundle 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Coleworts.. ..doz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Salsafy. 
bundle 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Cucumbers. 
0 
4 
0 
g 
Scorzonera . 
bundle 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Endive. 
1 
u 
2 
0 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Fennel. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Shallots. 
lb. 
3 
0 
0 
Herbs . 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Spinach . 
bushel 
5 
0 
6 
0 
Leeks. 
0 
3 
0 
4 
lb. 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Lettuces . 
i 
3 
2 
0 
Turnips. 
bunch 
0 
2 
0 
8 
POULTRY AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 
HAY-SAVING BY MACHINERY. 
The saving of hay by the best known means under the 
influence of the atmosphere alone was treated of by us in 
this Journal in the month of June, 1878, under the heading 
of “Hay-making” (Field Hay), and in the following July 
again under the heading of “ Making Pasture and Meadow 
Hay.” There has, however, since that period been various 
means advocated for the making of hay without entirely 
depending upon the weather for that purpose. We notice first 
that Mr. Neilson has advocated the securing of hay by the 
means of exhaustion of heat from the ricks after being made 
and built of a certain size and under particular conditions. 
Mr. Wm. Gibbs has also advised the use of steam power for 
drying the hay artificially, or rather by the heat produced by 
steam. Another machine made by J. H. Ladd & Co., driven 
by steam, is called the “ Perpetual ” Press for baling hay by 
compressing and binding in bales. There are one or two other 
ideas started connected with the hay-saving process which are 
comparatively unimportant. It is incumbent on us, after the 
subject of ensilage has been treated of in this Journal so recently, 
to take up the subject of saving and securing hay to be made 
fit for use as dry fodder ; for whatever advantages we may admit 
to belong to ensilage, we still feel the necessity that the home 
farmer requires dry fodder, not only as being more portable 
and better adapted for use in gentlemen’s stables, but also 
because it is specially suitable for sale and carriage into the 
towns and distances by railway as compared with ensilage. 
We will consider first the plan or system of hay-drying or 
cooling by the use of the exhausting-of-heat fan, the first 
public exhibition of which took place under the auspices of 
the Bath and West of England Agricultural Society at their 
meeting at Cardiff on the 22nd of May, 1882. The material 
selected for the trial of the experiment by the use of Mr. 
Phillip’s exhausting fan was taken from a field of Clover and 
Ryegrass, the grass being stacked on the 22nd and 23rd of 
May, but the weather continued to be most adverse, through 
rain occurring more or less nearly every day up to the 28th of 
May, which was the opening day of the Show ; and as many 
persons had come especially to see the apparatus in action, the 
Clover and Ryegrass, although it was certainly not fit to put 
together in accordance with Mr. Neilson’s experience and former 
notoriety upon the subject. It was, however, decided to form a 
stack about 20 feet square, which was made under a shed in 
the show-yard. The shed was of sufficient length to contain 
several stacks. A line of 9-inch glazed earthenware pipes was 
laid beneath the surface of the ground along the central line of 
the shed, with dampers to regulate the draught from the centre 
of each stack. In the centre of the stack and over a damper 
a vertical air-chamber was formed about 2 feet in diameter by 
raising a stuffed sack as the work advanced. This was carried 
up to about the height of 13 feet, when it was closed by topping 
the rick. Iron tubes were placed in the sides of the stack 
towards the air-chamber for the insertion of thermometers. The 
temperature began to rise whilst the stack was being finished, and 
the hand-power exhaust fan was set to work for a short time, 
which checked the increase. On the 30th of May the steam- 
driven fan in three hours reduced by 52° the rapidly rising 
temperature of the stack, the steam and hand fan each being 
used occasionally, but daily, until June 14th. No record of 
temperature, however, was kept after that date. On the 15th of 
September the stack was cut, when it was seen that the central 
air chamber was reduced from 13 feet to 5 feet in height. The 
effects of overheating were very apparent ; a zone of moist dis¬ 
coloured material, unfit for use, extended round the lower portion 
of the stack, but white streaks of mould were apparent at 
intervals to a height of 8 feet from the ground, above which the 
hay was fairly good. The hay has since been sold for £40, being 
about 47 s. per ton. Besides the fact that the Clover and Rye 
Grass were unripe, sappy, and saturated with rain water, it was 
also unfortunate, that owing to the desirability of beginning to 
stack not later than the first morning of the Show, the material 
