January 5, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
19 
AVERAGE WSOLESALE PRICES.—CUT FLOWERS. 
Orchid Blooms in variety. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d 
8. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
Arum Lilies, 12 blooms .. 
4 
0 to 9 
0 
Mimosa, French, per bunch 
1 
0 to 1 
6 
Azalea, dozen sprays.. .. 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Orchids, per dozen blooms 
3 
0 
12 
G 
Bouvardias, bunch .. .. 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Pelargoniums, 12 bunches 
8 
0 
12 
0 
Camellias, doz. blooms .. 
1 
6 
4 
0 
Pelargoniums, scarlet, doz. 
Carnations, 12 blooms .. 
1 
3 
0 
bunches. 
0 
0 
9 
0 
Clirysanthemums, dozen 
Poinsettia, per bloom 
0 
4 
0 
9 
blooms . 
1 
6 
4 
0 
Primula (double) 12 sprays 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Chrysanthemums, dozen 
Pyrethrum doz. bunches .. 
3 
0 
G 
0 
bunches. 
6 
0 
12 
0 
Roses (French), per doz. .. 
1 
G 
3 
0 
Eucharis, dozen. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
,, „ boxes, 100. 
5 
0 
8 
0 
Gardenias, per dozen 
6 
0 
9 
0 
„ (indoor), dozen 
2 
0 
4 
u 
Hyacinth Roman, 12 sprays 
0 
G 
1 
0 
„ Red, per doz. blooms.. 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Lilac, white, French, per 
„ Tea, white, dozen ., 
1 
G 
3 
0 
bunch . 
4 
6 
6 
0 
„ Yellow, dozen .. .. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Lilium longiflorum 12 
Tuberoses, 12 blooms.. .. 
0 
G 
1 
0 
blooms . 
9 
0 
12 
0 
Tulips, dozen blooms 
1 
0 
3 
0 
Lilium (var.) doz. blooms 
3 
0 
5 
0 
Violets, Parme, French, per 
Lily of the Valley, dozen 
bunch . 
4 
G 
6 
0 
sprays . 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Violets, Czar, French, per 
Maidenhair Fern, doz. bchs. 
4 
0 
8 
0 
bunch . 
2 
6 
3 
G 
Marguerites, 12 bunches .. 
3 
0 
6 
0 
Violets, Victoria, French, 
Mignonette, 12 bunches .. 
3 
0 
6 
0 
J dozen bundle i .. .. 
2 
0 
3 
0 
THE NEW YEAR. 
Though the gloom and sadness of hard times hung like a 
heavy fog over the last hours of the old year, we do not enter 
the new year without hope of bright days to come, of a 
renewal of prosperity even in agriculture. That this is possible 
we have not a doubt; the difficulty appears to be in seeing how 
it is to be managed, and our first article this year may well be 
devoted to the good work of clearing the way for a change that 
is inevitable. 
For our hope of bright days to be realised we must not 
oxpect to have what is so clearly impossible— i.e., Wheat at 
anything like £3 or £4 a quarter. That is a thing of the past ; 
with such prices it answered to sow everywhere, but now it is 
only in good, deep, rich, mixed soil that Wheat can be grown at 
a profit. The matter is very simple ; the average Wheat yield 
in this country of 29 or 30 bushels an acre means a loss, the 
possible Wheat yield of 40 to 48 bushels an acre means a profit. 
Let this be clearly understood. Further, let the man who 
persists in sowing Wheat in poor or badly tilled soil under¬ 
stand that he alone must suffer for his folly, and that he has no 
just claim upon bis landlord or his country for assistance. We 
may be—nay, we have been—told that a certain quantity of 
Wheat straw must be grown for rick thatching, and for the 
stable and hovel litter. Our answer is. Sow Oats ; be satisfied 
with nothing less than 80 bushels an acre, and you will have 
plenty of straw both for food and litter, and corn for all live 
stock on the farm. Nothing fattens poultry or pigs better than 
oatmeal; nothing keeps ewes heavy with lamb in condition 
better than crushed Oats ; for horses, cows, bullocks the food is 
alike excellent; and remember that, though thin Russian Oats 
can be bought so cheaply, a really heavy British Oat is far more 
profitable. Resolve for one thing in the new year to give this 
matter a fair trial. Procure really fine seed, weighing quite 
40 lbs. per bushel, sow early and thickly, and drill wi h the seed 
per acre 1 cwt. of nitrate of soda, the same quantity of super¬ 
phosphate, and half a hundredweight each of steamed bone 
flour and muriate of potash. If you have any doubt about the 
matter try it on a small scale—say, in a single field, and prove 
for yourself how profitable it is. 
Apply this common sense principle of thorough culture to 
all farm crops. As Professor Wrightson said recently, “Rent, 
rates, til'ages and seed, are equally expended upon all crops, 
whether good or bad.” Just so is it with farm stock—the bai 
cost even more to feed than the good —a poor Irish steer is a 
far more costly animal to rear than a choice home-bred beast. 
but even the home-bred animal must have ample shelter and 
food now. We are told that thousands of beasts were grazed 
at a loss in the Midlands last year: we do not wonder. Go 
through the dairy farms of Leicestershire and Derbyshire now, 
and see, if you can, how the half-starved store cattle out on the 
pasture, without shelter, and with so little food, can be expected 
to answer ? Here a change to fewer numbers, more substantial 
food, efficient shelter, would certainly be a change for the better 
—grazing for profit instead of for loss—and the graziers who 
keep their cattle in such wretched plight all winter have no 
more claim for pity than incompetent Wheat growers. Both 
have the right and wrong way set before them ; let them help 
themselves before crying out for help from without ; then, when 
they have shown themselves worthy of assistance, it may, if 
found necessary, be accorded them. 
With advanced rates by railway companies for milk carriage, 
an outcry is a certainty. But the railway carriers consider 
their action justifiable, because the milk carriage is a bulky 
unprofitable business in comparison with that of the minerals 
which f rm so large a bulk of the business of the great 
companies north of London. If only the effect of the higher 
rates is to check the sending of milk to London from such 
long distances, and to induce the establishment of farmers’ 
co-operative cheese and butter factories, it will do much good. 
We have repeatedly shown how, if the milk supply of the 
metropolis and other large towns were confined to a given 
radius, it would tend to raise the price of milk both for the 
producer for towns, and for the factories outside town supply 
boundaries ; there would also be a great saving upon the present 
heavy outlay for carriage by rail. Such a highly desirable 
change can only be effected by co-operation. We bdieve it 
will come by such means in due course, as also will the better 
production and disposal of all farm produce. Self help as a 
body, as well as individually, is what farmers require very 
much more of to meet hard times. The burdens on the land 
may then be lightened too, both in rating and taxation ; butcher 
and baker will then be met and fought on their own ground ; 
and the co-operative factory dairy shops, with a steady supply 
of first-class butter, will soon drive the inferior Danish and 
Brittany butter out of the market. Imported butter now on 
sale may have the merit of uniform quality, but that is all 
that can be said for it, and it is always devoid of the delicious 
flavour of really good butter. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Advantage has been taken of the hard frost to cart firewood of all 
kinds for home use, also gravel for roads and paths, chalk for the 
bottoms of yards, and lime for the land. All such work is pushed on 
with now in order to avoid any hindrance from it in spring when horses 
and men are required upon the land. Our handy man is overhauling 
farm implements for cleaning, repairs, and painting, which should be 
done at least once a year. Under good management each tool or labour- 
saving appliance is kept in such perfect order that it is ready for use 
when wanted. How frequently have we seen mowing machines sent off 
for repair just when mowing is beginning with the vexatious certainty 
of having to wait for them and losing several fine days ! Instead of 
being placed away dirty and broken in any shed or outbuilding till 
wanted we would have all implements kept together trim, neat, bright, 
and efficient as care and pains can make them. We earnestly invite the 
attention of home farmers to this, which if it is a mere matter of detail 
is one of sufficient importance to merit their best attention. 
Let the lambing yard or fold be got ready for use. Oats and Peas in 
stack near the fold should be threshed and the straw restacked close at 
hand for use. Have plenty of straw cut into chaff, Oats crushed, and 
ample supplies of all food at hand for the shepherd. Two or four¬ 
toothed ewes may not require crushed Oats, but they are decidedly best 
for full-mouth ewes and all animals of mature age. Keep plenty of Pea 
straw in racks for the sheep, and see that they have chaff and Oats in 
the troughs twice daily. Use few, if any, roots during the prevalence 
of very cold weather. This is a matter about which shepherds are not 
to be trusted, from the common idea that roots are good for the mi k, 
and they will have the roots if they can get at them. After the lambing 
we allow a regular supply of roots with other food, but roots are not to 
be regarded as indispensable. With plenty of silage roots can be dis¬ 
pensed with. The silage is much the cheaper article of diet, ewes and 
lambs like and thrive upon it, and it ought to enter largely into every 
scheme of farm management. Provide cribs for the separate use of each 
